Finding That Showcase Smile
by NegaiFreak
Summary: After what happened in her Showcase debut, Serena's still feeling down… So Ash decides to cheer her up by taking her and his friends to Canterlot High! But when shenanigans start to take place, will the performer ever get her spark back? Contains Ash X Fluttershy, Ash X Serena, and Clemont X Pinkie moments. POKÉMON/EQUESTRIA GIRLS CROSSOVER!


**Hey folks! Coming off of "Change", it's time for a little one-shot to hold you guys over for a while. Now this story was inspired from "Rainbow Rocks: The Omniversal Crossover", since a lot of reviewers appreciated the kindhearted relationship between Ash and Fluttershy. Then I thought, what about Serena, who has a canon crush on him?**

 **A few things to note about this story:**

 **1\. The girls and Ash's group have all met before. One of the first things Rainbow Dash did when she received her MPG was take herself and her friends to his universe to become trainers/performers, after the events of "Change". Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy are aspiring Pokémon performers, while Applejack and Rainbow are trainers.**

 **2\. Serena understands that Ash has met Fluttershy from before, but doesn't realize that there may be a deeper connection between them, resulting in a part of the conflict.**

 **3\. This takes place after "Showcase, Debut!", so it makes sense for Serena's emotions to not be completely intact after her first defeat in her first attempt.**

 **4\. This story also takes place after "Titan's Loyalty" and "Outlook", so there may be a few spoilers from those stories.**

 **There's also going to be an indication of a Clemont and Pinkie Pie pairing at some parts of this one-shot as well. I hope you enjoy it, and also hope that it'll pass the time before I release any chapters for "Titan's Loyalty" & "Outlook". With that all said and done, here's "Finding That Showcase Smile"!**

 _ **On their way to Lumiose City for the inevitable gym battle between Ash and Clemont, our heroes make a quick stop for lunch before heading into the badlands. Just the day prior, Serena had entered her first Pokémon Showcase in Coumarine City. However, she was eliminated after the Theme Performance, and since then, has tried to change her outlook, even by cutting her own hair and changing her clothes! But, has she really gotten over this defeat?**_

Steam billowed from the pot of soup Clemont was heating right over a burner. His sister Bonnie was helping Ash set up the collapsible table right beside him, just before Serena set napkins and utensils upon it.

"Bro, is it almost done?" the young girl asked before she pulled off her yellow purse from her shoulder, setting it down on the grass.

"Almost," he responded, turning back to stir the hot liquid, which was white colored and contained bits of meat.

"Dennay!" a voice squeaked as Bonnie's bag popped open, revealing Dedenne inside, who jumped out and crawled onto the young girl's shoulder.

"Pika pi," Pikachu greeted, waving to the Electric/Fairy type.

"De dennay nay!" he responded with a smile.

"We should get something for you two to chow down on too," Ash suggested as the two Electric types jumped down from the respective shoulders of their trainers.

"Don't forget about everyone else!" Bonnie chimed in, getting nods in reply from her brother, the Pokémon trainer, and the rookie performer, who all took out the Poké Balls from their belts, enlarging them.

"Come on out everyone!" Ash exclaimed, throwing the spherical containments into the air with Clemont and Serena. They all popped open, and the light that spilled forth from each of them formed respectively into the Fox Pokémon, Fennekin, the Playful Pokémon, Pancham, the Spiny Nut Pokémon, Chespin, the Digging Pokémon, Bunnelby, the Spark Pokémon, Luxio, the Bubble Frog Pokémon, Frogadier, the Wrestling Pokémon, Hawlucha, the Ember Pokémon, Fletchinder, and the Soft Tissue Pokémon, Goomy.

"Goo?" the slimy Dragon type said in surprise to having been called out. His trainer then set down a bowl of Pokémon food in front of him, along with the others as well.

"There you go!" he said with a smile, also letting the Soft Tissue Pokémon have a cup of water as well. He sipped it down quickly, feeling quite refreshed.

"Goo Goomy!" he cried out in delight, jumping onto his trainer's left shoulder.

"Ah ha, ha!" Ash laughed, but then found that Goomy was beginning to suck on his ear, "Ah! Hey!" he yelped, "Cut it out Goomy!" he pleaded, but was tickled by the Soft Tissue Pokémon as he continued nibbling. Bonnie giggled at her friend's dismay, while Serena smiled, sitting down at her seat by the table.

"There you go," Clemont said as put down four bowls filled with steaming soup at their respective places on the table. All the kids gathered around there, with Ash and Serena taking off their hats while the Pokémon ate their food.

"Mmm!" Bonnie exclaimed with her lips shut after she took a sip, "Leave it to my brother to make something as good as this!" she complimented.

"Why of course," he responded, pushing his glasses back up to his eyes, "I made sure the added ingredients matched perfectly with the soup itself," he explained. Ash then took a swig of the hot liquid himself, grinning in delight afterwards.

"Clemont, your cooking's amazing!" he complimented, "Just as great as your inventions!" he added, making him sheepishly rub the back of his head with a chuckle, flattered by his friend's compliments.

"I'd beg to differ…" Bonnie mocked, causing him to frown at her. Meanwhile, Serena had barely taken a sip of her soup, as she was looking down at it with depressed eyes, still reminiscing the events back from the Coumarine City Showcase.

"Fen?" the Fox Pokémon asked, having taken notice of her trainer's behavior as she looked up from her food bowl.

"Pan Pancham Cham," Pancham advised, getting his partner's attention, "Chama Cham, Cham," he pointed out.

"Kin…" Fennekin agreed, remembering how her trainer's performance debut was ruined because of how she had tripped on the ribbon she had been wearing.

"Froga?" Frogadier croaked, chiming in on the conversation.

"Pancham Cham," the Playful Pokémon explained.

"Ches Pin Pin," Chespin noted, joining in on the discussion as well. Soon, the others began chattering along with them, catching the attentions of their trainers.

"I wonder what they're talking about…" Clemont said as he saw Pancham and the Spiny Nut Pokémon getting into a little argument.

"Maybe it has to do with Ash's gym battle against you?" Bonnie suggested unknowingly.

"Maybe…" the Pokémon trainer agreed, then took notice of Serena's downcast look, "Serena?" he said, getting her attention as she immediately jerked her head back up and faced him.

"Y-Yeah?" she stuttered nervously.

"Are you okay?" Ash asked, "You still seem kinda down since… well…" He stopped his sentence, considering that her feelings may have been hurt by his words.

"I'm fine," she replied, "I just want a change of pace," she told him, "a fresh start," she added, "I remember you felt the same way after your gym battle against Viola a while back," she mentioned, making him blink in realization.

"Yeah…" he replied, "But this…" he pointed out, referencing her new look, "seems like you're trying to change too much," he admitted.

"But weren't you the one that said it suited me?" Serena asked.

"Well…" Ash began, trying to find the right words to say, as Clemont and Bonnie looked on with worried eyes, "most of us are still trying to wrap our heads around why you cut your hair and changed your clothes," he explained, "I'm worried that the feelings that made you do that are gonna be the same in your performances," he told her.

"I said I'm fine!" she exclaimed, standing up defiantly, much to the shock of everyone else, including the Pokémon. Realizing what she had just done, her eyes widened, looking to see Fennekin and Pancham somewhat frightened by her shouting. The Pokémon trainer next to her then stood up, having her turn to face him. "Ash, I didn't mean-"

"It's okay," he interrupted, putting his cap back on and grabbing Serena's, "But you know," he began, "maybe we all need a break from the gym battles and showcases," he suggested, handing the hat to his friend, who accepted it.

"You mean…" Clemont began in question, "like a vacation?" he asked.

"Exactly!" his friend responded excitedly.

"But where would we go?" Bonnie asked curiously, "Doesn't seem like any place around here'd be a good vacation spot…" she noted.

"Hmm…" Ash pondered, crossing his arms while he looked up in thought. The Pokémon all mused over the decision as well, and then suddenly, Pikachu's eyes widened while his ears perked up realization.

"Pika!" he cried out, dashing over to his trainer's backpack, getting everyone's attention as he left his food behind. The Mouse Pokémon then began rummaging through the knapsack, carefully looking for the item he remembered.

"What is it buddy?" his trainer asked. The Electric type then had his head reemerge from the bag, holding the boy's MPG, making him smile in realization.

"Your MPG?" Serena asked, somewhat surprised as her crush took it from Pikachu.

"Of course!" Clemont realized as his glasses shined in the sunlight, "The Multiversal Portal Generator can create rifts to alternate worlds," he pointed out.

"Yay!" Bonnie exclaimed delightedly, "We're going to another world!" she yelled.

"Dennay!" Dedenne cried out in excitement. The other Pokémon began chattering as well, mostly with Ash's as they had been to different universes with their trainer.

"Lu Lucha!" Hawlucha told the others, intriguing them.

"Chin Fletch," Fletchinder agreed, causing them to all wonder curiously. Pikachu then handed the MPG to Ash, who took it, pressing its center and making a holographic map appear over it, which he began fiddling with, searching through the index.

"Well…" Serena began in question, getting her crush's attention, "where should we go?" she asked.

"Wherever you want!" the Pokémon trainer responded to her surprise, "You're the one who deserves this break the most," he told her. She blushed slightly, taken aback by his kindness, but smiled in gratitude.

"So, where're we gonna go?" Bonnie asked while her brother was clearing the table and grabbing the dishes.

"Hmm…" Serena wondered while Ash took out his Poké Balls, returning his Pokémon to them in separate red beams of light. Clemont did the same with his team, grabbing his heavy backpack after he had put away all his cooking supplies. The rookie performer then gasped in delight as she remembered something. "How about we visit our friends in Rainbow's world?" she suggested.

"Great idea!" the Pokémon trainer agreed after he grabbed his bag and zipped it up. He handed the other bag near him to the girl, and threw Bonnie her purse.

"Come on Dedenne!" the young girl beckoned, getting the Antenna Pokémon to crawl up onto her head.

"De Dennay!" he exclaimed excitedly. After returning Fennekin and Pancham to their respective Poké Balls, Serena put the straps of her bag over her shoulders, while Bonnie slung her purse back over her body.

"All right everyone," Ash said as he pressed an icon on the holographic screen, and suddenly, a green portal appeared before the entire group, "let's get going!" he yelled, jumping into the swirling vortex as his friends followed.

* **Pokémon: The Series XY Opening** *****

Birds chirped happily as the sun shined over the Canterlot High School building. The mirror statue reflected the bright light while a cool breeze swooshed by. Suddenly, a green portal appeared in front of the mirror, startling the animals in the area as they all ran off in a hurry. A few seconds passed before Bonnie leaped out of it, tumbling across the ground with a little yelp before halting on her rear end, while Dedenne had luckily had jumped off beforehand, standing next to her. Ash, Serena, and Clemont then came out of the portal, each walking out carefully as the little girl in front of them stood back up.

"Is this it?" she asked excitedly while the Antenna Pokémon crawled back up to her head.

"Yep!" the Pokémon Trainer replied, "Welcome to Canterlot High!" he said as he and his friends viewed the school's majestic look.

"It looks so pretty!" Bonnie exclaimed in glee.

"So this is where Rainbow, Fluttershy, and the other girls go to school?" Clemont asked.

"Uh-huh," Ash responded with a nod, while the little girl with them curiously walked over to the mirror, "It's been a _long_ time since I've been here," he added just as she placed her hand against the structure, and it suddenly phased through, much to her surprise with a gasp, "I was the lead singer for our band during a competition here too," he mentioned.

"A lead singer?" Serena questioned.

"And in a competition?" the Lumiose gym leader chimed in, unsure of his friend's claims, as was the rookie performer.

"Pika, pika pi," Pikachu vouched, supporting his trainer.

"Yep!" he said proudly, "I could show you guys if you want," he added, making the two smile in excited anticipation. Ash then took a deep breath, about to sound off.

"Hey, you guys!" Bonnie yelled, stopping the Pokémon trainer, getting his and the others' attentions, "Watch this!" she pointed out, phasing her hands through the mirror portal, waving them around while the others gasped in shock.

"H-How are you doing that?!" Serena stuttered in surprise.

"Perhaps it's another portal?" Clemont suggested, adjusting his glasses.

"You're right," Ash responded to his surprise, trotting over to the little girl, who then relinquished her arms from the mirror.

"Where does this portal go?" she asked curiously.

"To a place called Equestria," her friend replied, looking at the mirror, "I've never been there myself," he added, "but Ben says that it's nice and peaceful," he told them.

"Can we go there?" Bonnie asked.

"Day Dennay!" Dedenne begged.

"Sorry," Ash apologized, "but now's not the best time to go through there," he said, making the two sigh, "Besides," he began, "we came to visit our friends at the school," he noted with a grin, causing the little girl and her partner Pokémon to smile in realization.

"So, how does Ben know about that Equestria place?" Clemont asked as they began to walk towards the school entrance.

"He stayed there for a while after he met Rainbow Dash," his friend explained in reply, adjusting his fingerless gloves, "And he even made friends with a princess!" he added.

"A princess?!" Bonnie exclaimed, "Wowee!" she yelled gleefully, "What was her name?" she asked.

"Twilight Sparkle," Ash responded, "And I gotta say," he began, "she was a really great singer for the Rainbooms during the Battle of the Bands," he admitted.

"The Rainbooms?" Serena asked.

"Guess that leads to another story…" Clemont suggested, overwhelmed by all of them already as they approached the glass doors.

"It'll have to wait for later," the Pokémon trainer said to his friends. They then came up to the steps, but Ash suddenly stopped as he realized something, having his eyes widen. "Pikachu," he told his partner, gesturing his head toward his backpack.

"Pika…" the Mouse Pokémon sighed, crawling down from his trainer's shoulder, zipping open the backpack, and going inside of it, having him close it up slightly so he could breathe.

"Why are you doing that?" Serena asked her crush.

"The school principal here's not a big fan of animals going inside," he replied, "That goes for Dedenne too," he pointed out to Bonnie.

"Aw…" she moaned, "That's so unfair!" she yelled.

"Day, Dennay!" the Antenna Pokémon agreed. However, they looked back at Ash, who gave them a little smile before the girl sighed, opening up her purse and putting the Electric/Fairy type inside of it.

"Don't worry," the Pokémon trainer reassured to the two of them, "You'll be able to come back out really soon," he told Dedenne, who squiggled around in Bonnie's purse in delight, while the girl herself smiled. They all then walked inside, just as the school bell began ringing throughout the building complex. Without warning, students began pouring out of classrooms, bustling around the lobby as the group of four watched them walk by.

"Incredible…" Clemont said in awe, adjusting his glasses, "Look at all these students!" he noted, quite impressed.

"How come their skin colors are so different?" his sister asked, seeing another group of scholars trot past.

"It's apparently a trait in this world," Ash replied, "The girls are like that too," he added.

"So then…" Serena began, putting her hand up to her chin, "their skin color is the same as when they have their magic activated, right?" she suggested, getting a nod in reply from her crush.

"Speaking of whom," Clemont realized, "how are we going to find them throughout this whole school?" he asked, pointing out the huge complex of the building.

"Pikachu and I know our way around," Ash reassured in response, "Right, buddy?" he asked, getting a wiggle of his backpack in reply from the Mouse Pokémon.

"Well, let's go then!" Bonnie exclaimed, running off into the halls.

"Wait for us!" Serena yelled chasing after the little girl with her crush.

"Don't forget about me!" Clemont yelled, trudging behind them as fast as he could. Meanwhile, a classroom door opened and closed while four girls trotted out, being Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy.

"I can't believe Miss Cherilee would give us a pop quiz when we've already taken our finals!" the indigo haired girl among them complained, "There is _absolutely_ no reason for us to continue studying at the end of the year!" she added angrily.

"We hear ya Rarity," the cowgirl noted in a pleading tone, "Cherilee's just tryin' to get us ready fer our junior year by givin' us a little more work," she explained while they kept on walking.

"I dunno…" Pinkie admitted, "Besides popped balloons, pop quizzes are the last thing I wanna deal with…" she told the girls.

"And it did seem pretty odd for her to give it to us near the end of the year," Fluttershy pointed out.

"That's true," Applejack replied, "But what's done is done," she noted, "And y'all should be glad that we've got just a week left in this here place," she mentioned.

"You're right," the shy girl agreed, "Maybe we should just let that pop quiz slide," she suggested.

"I would," Rarity began calmly in response, "but since Rainbow Dash _and_ Sunset Shimmer didn't have to take it, I am beyond infuriated!" she complained, turning away with a huff.

"Rarity," the cowgirl began, "ya know those two need to help out Ben and Rook with all the problems in the multiverse," she pointed out, "And besides," she continued, "that quiz we had was probably one of the easiest things ah'd ever taken," she added.

"Ah!" her stylish friend gasped, "Of course _they're_ the ones that have to help their _boyfriends_ with saving all those worlds!" she pointed out in a sarcastic tone.

"Sounds like somebody's jealous~!" Pinkie teased.

"I am not!" Rarity claimed angrily.

"Ya sure you ain't?" Applejack asked with a smirk.

"Of course not!" her friend responded, "I'm only frustrated that they didn't have to suffer like we did!" she complained.

"We… didn't exactly suffer…" Fluttershy pointed out, "I thought the quiz was… pretty easy for me…" she added.

"Me too!" Pinkie agreed, making her stylish friend blink in surprise while they had all stopped in the middle of the hall.

"Well… um…" Rarity began, trying to come up with something as she blushed a bright red out of embarrassment, "All right!" she screamed, caving in to the pressure, "Perhaps I'm a little jealous of how Sunset and Rainbow get to spend so much time with their boyfriends…" she admitted shamefully.

"I'll say," her shy friend agreed, "I bet you'd want Gingka around to be your boyfriend, right?" she guessed, getting a heavy sigh in reply.

"While I'd very much like that," the stylish sophomore began, "he's already in a relationship with someone else," she noted with a depressed look.

"What do think Rainbow and Sunset are up to with Ben and Rook?" Fluttershy asked.

"They're probably savin' the universe or whatever again," Applejack suggested.

"Or they're having a 'lovey-dovey' double date," Pinkie chimed in excitedly, "You know what they say," she began, "first comes love, then comes marriage, then-!"

"Did somebody say something about marriage?!" a voice shrieked, much to the girls' surprise as they turned to see Bonnie running towards them. The little girl then slid down to a halt on her left knee, holding her right hand out to the teens. "Would any of you wanna take care of my brother?" she asked cutely, then blinked in realization as she saw whom she was talking to.

"Bonnie?" Fluttershy said in surprise.

"Well ah'll be darned!" Applejack exclaimed, going over to the little girl as she stood up, "What are y'all doin' 'round these parts sugarcube?" she asked.

"Here to see you girls with everyone else!" she replied, winking cutely while she stuck her tongue out.

"Everyone?" Pinkie questioned, chiming in.

"Hey girls!" a voice called out in the distance, making the girls all turn to see Ash and Serena running down the hall towards them, with Clemont slowly trudging behind, sweating madly.

"Ash!" Fluttershy exclaimed in delight.

"And Serena and Clemont too!" her pink, puffy haired friend pointed out excitedly. They ran up to their friends quickly, stopping in the middle of the hall so they wouldn't collide.

"It's so good to see y'all again!" Applejack noted as she tipped her cowgirl hat up.

"It's good to see you too AJ," the Pokémon trainer responded with a smile, "I think the last time we were all in the same place was at the Pokémon Summer Camp," he remembered, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Wild ride, huh?" the cowgirl suggested with a raised eyebrow, getting a chuckle in reply.

"And Serena," Rarity began, bringing the attention to the rookie performer, "how have you be- AAAAAHHHHH!" she shrieked in shock, interrupting her own sentence as she noticed her friend's new look. Everyone in the hallways at the time stopped what they were doing, and glanced over upon hearing the scream. The indigo haired girl placed her hands over her mouth in embarrassment, blushing a bright pink. "Eh… carry on…" she said sheepishly in a quieter tone. All the other students went back to their activities, oblivious to the situation as most of them shrugged.

"What did you do to your hair?" Fluttershy asked with widened eyes as the other girls looked at Serena in shock.

"And yer clothes…" Applejack noted, very surprised. The young performer blushed out of embarrassment, putting her hands behind her back, while she moved her left foot back and forth nervously.

"Well… I-"

"I like it!" Pinkie interrupted, chiming in as she dashed over to her friend, putting her right arm around her, and placing her hand on the girl's shoulder, "The hat, the dress, the hair, and that cute ribbon all suit you so well!" she told her, much to her surprise as she blinked rapidly in shock.

"Uh… thanks Pinkie," the rookie performer said in gratitude, making her smile widely. Fluttershy then walked over to Ash, having a worried look upon her face.

"When did… _that_ happen?" she asked him in a whisper.

"After her Showcase debut," the Pokémon trainer replied quietly, as the shy girl's eyes widened in shock, "She said it was for a change of pace," he added, "but I'm thinking she's trying to change too much," he admitted, looking back at his companion, who was then approached by Rarity.

"I knew she was heartbroken about the loss, but still…" Fluttershy noted, very concerned.

"So, what are y'all doin' 'round here anyway?" Applejack asked, "You come lookin' for a battle or somethin'?" she asked on curiously, making Ash chuckle again.

"Nah," he responded, "We're just here to try and take a break from all the action for a bit," he told her, "Gym battles, Showcases, and anything else," he listed off.

"Well, you came to the right place!" Pinkie exclaimed excitedly, "The school year's almost over," she began, "and we're ready to PAAAR-TAAAY!" she screamed.

"Yay!" Bonnie cheered.

"So, is the day almost over?" Clemont asked.

"Eeyup," Applejack replied, "We finished our finals a week ago, and every period's free for all of us," she explained.

"Does that mean we can do whatever we want?" the young girl among them asked, smiling in anticipation.

"Well-"

"Of course you can, silly!" Pinkie chimed in, interrupting the cowgirl as she glanced at her friend with a blank look of annoyance, "School's almost out!" she exclaimed.

"Yipee!" Bonnie cheered while her hands extended up into the air.

"Pinkie Pie…" Applejack muttered with a frown. Moments later, the whole group was walking through the halls, passing by classrooms and lockers. The little girl from Lumiose led the way, jogging ahead excitedly.

"So, where's Rainbow Dash?" Serena asked the girls.

"Huh…" Rarity sighed as she walked next to the rookie performer, " _She_ is with her boyfriend in his universe at the moment," she told her, crossing her arms in frustration while she puffed her cheeks, pouting.

"And what about Sunset Shimmer?" Ash questioned, chiming in.

"She's with Rainbow and Ben too," Fluttershy answered for her friend, "I'm sure you already heard about how she joined your team," she mentioned with a smile.

"Yeah!" the Pokémon trainer responded with a nod, "She's definitely a good choice for the Omni Force," he noted, "Though, I bet Korra's gonna be back pretty soon," he added.

"Ben told us about what happened that time," the shy girl next to him mentioned, "Are you sure she's going to be all right?" she asked.

"…Positive," Ash replied with a smile, making his friend grin as well.

"Ash, who's Sunset?" Clemont asked.

"A girl from this world who's my friend too," his companion responded, "From what I heard, she used to be a bully to all the other students here, and pretty much put everyone else in the school down," he explained.

"That's terrible!" Bonnie exclaimed in shock.

"Why would someone like her be picked to join your multiverse team?" Clemont asked.

"Because she changed for the better," Fluttershy responded, "Sunset made up for her past mistakes and learned how friendship can be so important," she explained.

"Oh…" Serena said in realization and awe.

"I should also bring up the fact that Sunset has a boyfriend for herself as well," Rarity pointed out to the group as she placed her hand on the rookie performer's shoulder.

"What?!" Ash exclaimed in shock as he immediately came to a halt, "I didn't hear about that," he said, still surprised.

"You didn't?" Pinkie questioned, astonished as well.

"She's going out with Rook," Fluttershy mentioned.

"Really?" the Pokémon trainer questioned in surprise, "Huh…" he said, "They actually would make a good couple," he admitted.

"I think so too," his shy friend agreed. Just then, as the group went through an intersection in the hallways, they crossed paths with Principal Celestia, carrying a large stack of folders. She turned to notice the band of students and visitors approach her.

"Well, isn't this a surprise!" she said, walking over to the group as they halted, "Ash, wasn't it?" she questioned to the capped boy, who tipped it reply with a grin.

"Um… who are you?" Bonnie asked curiously, chiming in.

"This here's Principal Celestia," Applejack introduced, "She's the one who keeps the school in check, and makes sure there's no trouble at all," she added, causing the school head to smile, while from afar, someone was watching their conversation, spying from behind a row of lockers.

"Applejack, I appreciate your kind words," the principal said in gratitude, making the cowgirl grin, "Also," she began, "I take it that our guests didn't come alone?" she suggested, making the four visitors blink in surprise.

"W-What do you mean?" Ash stuttered, chuckling nervously.

"It's okay Ash," Fluttershy chimed in, getting his attention, "You can let Pikachu out of your bag now," she told him as his backpack suddenly squirmed.

"Huh?" the Pokémon trainer said in surprise, "But I thought-"

"Principal Celestia started an animal biology program here at the school 'bout a month ago," Applejack responded, "Fluttershy was board with the whole idea before any of us joined in," she added, making her friend blush.

"I've allowed students to bring their pets into school for studying," the school head began, "and let them play appropriately, as long as they don't get into any trouble," she told the group.

"So that means we can let out our Pokémon?" Bonnie asked, just as Dedenne popped out of her purse.

"Day Dennay!" he squeaked excitedly, knowing that he was freed from the small bag.

"Well, hello there!" Celestia greeted, getting the Antenna Pokémon's attention as she kneeled down to pet him gently, making him smile, "I assume your little friend is still in your bag?" she questioned towards Ash.

"Well, not anymore," the trainer responded as he unzipped his backpack, letting the Mouse Pokémon poke his head out and shake it around before he jumped up into Fluttershy's arms excitedly.

"Oh, it's so good to see you too!" the shy girl said, petting the Electric type gently as she stroked his fur.

"Cha!" he cooed in delight. Ash smiled, but didn't notice Serena looking away, still in a state of depression, especially as it seemed her crush's Pokémon had more of a connection to another friend than to her.

"Anyways," Celestia chimed in, getting the whole group's attention as she stood up, "I hope you enjoy your time at CHS," she said, walking off, "Oh!" she realized, stopping for a moment, "And I hope to see you at tonight's fireworks display!" she added, smiling at the band of friends before finally heading off.

"A fireworks display?" Clemont questioned in surprise.

"Eeyup," Applejack responded, "We've got a week of school left, even though exams are finished," she began, "so we usually have a celebration for the end of the year," she told him, while the spy behind the lockers poked her head out, revealing her puffy orange hair and spiky headband.

"Hey!" Pinkie suddenly yelped, "Maybe Clemont can come up with a super awesome invention to use for tonight's show!" she suggested excitedly.

"That could be a great idea!" the Lumiose gym leader agreed, adjusting his glasses, "It looks like the future will be now later, thanks to science!" he exclaimed in anticipation.

"Huh…" his sister sighed, "I just hope this invention doesn't blow up…" she noted. Meanwhile, the spy stood up from her crouched position, being the former siren Adagio Dazzle as she grinned evilly.

"Come on you guys!" Ash beckoned, "We've still got a lot of the day left to spare!" he yelled, running off.

"Pika pi!" Pikachu cried out, jumping out of Fluttershy's arms and running after his trainer.

"Wait for us Ash!" Serena yelled, running after him with everyone else, as Clemont trudged behind.

"Looks like we've found ourselves something useful," Adagio noted within the darkened hallway from where she currently resided.

"What exactly?" a voice asked, making her turn to see her companions, Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk, leaning against the lockers behind her.

"Don't you remember that boy?" the leader of the Dazzlings asked, "The one who had all those strange creatures?" she pointed out.

"Tch, no," Aria scoffed, crossing her arms, "All I know is that he's a part of the Omniversals who took us down in the Battle of the Bands," she noted.

"Ugh…" Adagio sighed angrily, putting her hand over her face, "You're not letting me get to the point of this," she explained.

"What point?" Sonata asked.

"The point of this explanation being pointless?" Aria suggested as she waved her arm around, and then was suddenly grabbed at the right wrist by her leader, who squeezed it tightly, "Ow!" she yelped, "Okay, okay!" she pleaded, "I'll let you explain!" she said. Her wrist was then relinquished, allowing her to rub it as the puffy haired girl was about to speak.

"That boy, and the others from the Omniversals were all from different worlds," she explained, "But they all came here somehow," she noted, "and I'm guessing there's something they use to do so," she added.

"So?" her pigtailed companion questioned, "Are you thinking we could grab one of those things and go to that kid's world?" she asked.

"We could…" Adagio agreed, "Or… we could head back to Equestria," she suggested, making Aria and Sonata's eyes widen in surprise, "If they have something that allows them to travel between worlds," she began, "it could lead us back to our home," she noted.

"And we might get our singing voices back!" Sonata added excitedly.

"Along with our power to feed off negative energies," her leader pointed out.

"But that capped kid's with some of the Rainbooms and his friends," Aria mentioned, "And everyone in this school's been keeping an eye on us since the Battle of the Bands," she added.

"So how are we supposed to get his world skippy thingy?" the ponytailed girl of the group asked, just as her leader rubbed her chin.

"Hmm…" she hummed as she thought, "I guess we'll have to wait for a stroke of luck…" she suggested, knowing her plan would not be so easy. A while passed as the group of eight walked throughout the hallways of the school, with Bonnie leading the way, peeking into the classrooms they went by.

"Wowee!" she exclaimed excitedly, "This place is huge!" she noted, outstretching her arms.

"It's a school that holds kids from kindergarten to twelfth grade," Fluttershy explained, "The ones in grade school are put in one half of the school," she continued, "while the middle and high school students are in the other half," she finished.

"Sounds like a lot of students," Clemont noted, impressed.

"But isn't _that_ a lot for Principal Celestia to deal with?" Serena asked.

"Not at all, darling!" Rarity chimed in, "The students here are the most well-behaved, active, and friendliest people you'll ever meet!" she told her.

"But yer right," Applejack noted, "Principal Celestia has a tough time keepin' track of every single kid in the school," she added, "And it didn't get any easier when those sirens came here…" she mentioned.

"Sirens?" the young performer questioned, puzzled.

"That's another story," Fluttershy answered for her friend.

"So Ash," the cowgirl said, getting his attention, "how many badges do ya have now?" she asked.

"Four," the Pokémon trainer responded, "We're heading back to Lumiose City so I can get my fifth badge next," he added.

"Four badges…" Applejack noted, impressed as she stopped with the others, "Ah've only got two so far," she told him, "so I better get to catchin' up!" she said with a smile, making Ash smile as well.

"Applejack!" a voice called out in the distance. The whole group looked to see Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo all running down the hall towards them.

"Sweetie Belle!" Rarity exclaimed in delight as her young sister approached, kneeling down to give her a quick hug.

"What are y'all doin' here?" Applejack asked her own sister, "Shouldn't ya be in class?" she questioned, crossing her arms while she raised her eyebrow. Her stylish friend then realized that fact, standing up and mimicking the same suspicious position the cowgirl was in.

"Big sis, school's almost out!" Apple Bloom argued in response, "We don't need to be in class every single second," she added, only getting a glare in reply from her older sister.

"Anyways!" Pinkie chimed in excitedly, halting any form of conflict, "Introductions!" she exclaimed, "This is Apple Bloom," she introduced for the red haired girl with the pink bow, who waved at the group, "this is Sweetie Belle," she continued, with the young, light purple haired girl smiling at the group, "and this is Scootaloo!" she finished, with her arm around the last girl of the group, who wore green cargo shorts and a black hoodie.

"Nice to meet you all!" Bonnie greeted happily, "My name's Bonnie," she introduced, "and this is my big brother-"

"Clemont," the Lumiose gym leader finished for his sister.

"And I'm Serena," the rookie performer introduced with a smile.

"I'm sure you three all know Ash," Fluttershy pointed out while Pikachu jumped onto her shoulder.

"Pika pi!" the Electric type greeted. The three young girls smiled at him, and suddenly, Scootaloo's eyes widened as she thought of something.

"Say, you're a part of that Team Omniverse group with Ben Tennyson, right?" she asked the Pokémon trainer curiously.

"Uh, yeah," he replied, blinking in surprise upon hearing the question. Suddenly, Sweetie Belle gasped in shock.

"Is that Gingka guy with you?!" she asked excitedly, going up to h.

"Or that Rex fella'?!" Apple Bloom chimed in.

"Or Ben and Rainbow Dash?!" Scootaloo asked with an enthusiastic tone, somewhat scaring Ash as he backed up nervously.

"Sorry…" he apologized to the three of them, "but I'm the only one here right now…" he told them.

"Aw…" the three sighed disappointedly, making the Pokémon trainer frown.

"Now don't be like that around our guests," Applejack said to the girls, "Besides," she began, "there're plenty of other things y'all can do without those other guys around," she explained.

"Yeah!" Bonnie chimed in, agreeing, "You girls wanna hang out with us?" she asked as Dedenne crawled up to the top of her head.

"Dennay!" the Electric/Fairy type squeaked in agreement.

"What's that?" Apple Bloom asked upon noticing the Antenna Pokémon upon the girl's head.

"This is Dedenne," she introduced, letting him crawl out to the palms of her hands so she could show them, "Technically, he's my brother's Pokémon," she pointed out, "but I'm the one taking care of him," she said proudly, "Here!" she offered, placing him into the young country girl's hands.

"Day Dennay?" the Electric/Fairy type squeaked innocently, letting Apple Bloom pet him gently on the head.

"Aw…" Sweetie Belle said, admiring the Antenna Pokémon as he crawled up to the country girl's left shoulder.

"He's so cute!" she noted as Scootaloo took hold of him.

"And super huggable!" the eccentric girl noted as she rubbed her right cheek against his left.

"Ah!" Clemont gasped upon noticing, "Don't do that!" he pleaded in exclamation.

"Why not?" Sweetie Belle asked as Scootaloo didn't hear him. Suddenly, Dedenne's cheeks sparked wildly, and then zapped the girl his left one was touching, making everyone gasp. Her hair stuck up upon the shock, as her eyes widened in surprise.

"Dennay?" the Electric/Fairy type asked out of concern as he didn't mean to zap her. She then suddenly fell down onto her backside, having fainted.

"Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom exclaimed in worry. She and Sweetie Belle went over to her as the rest of the group gathered around. A long while passed before the young girl finally regained consciousness, rubbing her head as she groaned while sitting down.

"What the heck happened?" she asked while her friends stood beside her.

"That was Dedenne's Nuzzle attack…" Bonnie responded as she held the Electric/Fairy type in her arms, "I should've warned you…" she added in an apologetic tone.

"Ugh…" Scootaloo groaned, "My whole body feels numb…" she noted, flexing her right hand.

"Nuzzle always leaves an opponent paralyzed after it hits," Clemont explained, "But it should go away after a while," he mentioned, making the young girl smile as she stood back up.

"Say Bonnie," Apple Bloom chimed in, "Would you and Dedenne wanna come and help us out with our new music video?" she asked.

"Music video?" the young girl questioned in surprise.

"Dennay nay…" Dedenne squeaked.

"Yeah!" Sweetie Belle responded, "Ever since the 'Battle of the Bands', we've been trying to work on our own special talents," she explained.

"So we decided on doin' a music video to showcase what we're good at right now!" Apple Bloom continued, making Bonnie smile excitedly with the Antenna Pokémon.

"We've already got a ton of views on our last video," Scootaloo gloated, "and another would probably give us a clue as to what we really wanna do!" she told her.

"Ooh…" the Lumiose girl said, very intrigued, "Okay, I'm in!" she exclaimed.

"Dennay!" Dedenne agreed.

"All right!" Apple Bloom yelled in glee, "Crusaders, to the library!" she commanded, running off with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.

"Bye Clemont!" Bonnie yelled to her brother as she ran off after the girls, "I'll see you later!" she cried out.

"Uh, wait Bonnie!" Clemont stuttered in exclamation, "I thought we were sticking together…" he admitted.

"Don't worry that big head of yers, Clemont," Applejack reassured, placing her left hand on his shoulder, "Ah'll keep an eye on yer sister while y'all keep on tourin' the school grounds," she told him.

"Okay then," the scientist agreed, "Thanks," he said in gratitude, getting a smile in response from the cowgirl before she ran off after her sister and the others. A while passed before the remainder of the group arrived at a door to another classroom, which Pinkie Pie pushed open.

"And this is the science lab!" she pointed out, smiling widely as the three visitors gasped in awe, seeing the contraptions, chemicals, and other devices within the room.

"Wow!" Serena exclaimed.

"You've got all kinds of stuff in here…" Ash noted, very impressed as he and Pikachu looked around with widened eyes.

"There's physics, biology, chemistry, and a lot of other classes in this room," Fluttershy mentioned.

"And it's also where most kids work on their science fair projects!" Pinkie added, "Speaking of which," she began, rubbing her chin with her right hand, "you got an idea for that invention yet Clemont?" she asked quickly, dashing over to him in an instant to his surprise. He chuckled confidently as his glasses shined from the light in the room.

"I've got the best idea for this invention," he stated, having the look on his face brim with sureness.

"So what are you gonna do?" Ash asked his friend.

"I'm going to make a firework launcher to deliver a big finale for the display tonight," he explained in reply, "And I'll make sure that it'll be the best thing you've ever seen!" he added excitedly, pumping his fist.

"Awesome!" his enthusiastic friend responded, "I can't wait to see it later," he said, with Pikachu nodding in hopeful anticipation.

"And I'll help out!" Pinkie offered, making Clemont smile, "So with that, bye!" she said suddenly, right before shoving Ash, Serena, Fluttershy, and Rarity all out of the room at the same time, and then shut the door with a bang. The remaining four blinked in surprise upon what just happened, still standing at the doorway.

"Well…" Rarity began, breaking the silence, "I guess that leaves just the four of us then…" she said with a small laugh. The others took the time to let out a few giggles before heading off, while handiwork was heard from inside the science lab. Moments later, the group of four continued heading down the hallways, passing by the gymnasium, and even the cafeteria. Suddenly, the sound of a growling stomach was heard, making them all stop to realize that it originated from Ash, who blushed out of embarrassment.

"You wanna grab a bite right now?" Fluttershy asked him sweetly.

"Heh heh… Sorry…" he apologized sheepishly, "I guess I didn't eat enough for lunch earlier," he admitted, rubbing the back of his head with his right hand, "I'll be more than happy to have something to chow down on," he agreed, "right Pikachu?" he asked his partner.

"Pika pika…" the Mouse Pokémon sighed in agreement as he nodded his head.

"Serena, you wanna come with?" the Pokémon trainer asked.

"Uh, su-"

"Actually," Rarity interrupted suddenly, "I was thinking of doing something with Serena while the time's right," she told them, smiling widely.

"Okay," Ash agreed after a slight pause, blinking in confusion.

"Have fun!" Fluttershy said.

"Thank you!" her stylish friend replied in gratitude, instantly taking Serena's left hand with her right, running off with her as she yelped in surprise. They then ran right into another classroom, with the door behind them being instantly shut afterwards.

"Whoa, Rarity," the rookie Pokémon performer began as Rarity locked the door, "what are you doing?" she asked nervously.

"Huh…" the fashionista sighed, "I'm sorry darling…" she apologized, "It's just that… while your new outfit and hairstyle are cute," she began, "… I don't think your performance dress would suit you now," she admitted. Serena blinked in surprise upon hearing the response, utterly dumbfounded.

"So does that mean you're gonna try and make me another dress?" she asked, "You don't have to do that…" she said.

"Yes I do," Rarity replied defiantly, "And _I'm going_ to make it!" she stated confidently, going over to a desk that had a pair of red glasses, a violet backpack with three diamonds stitched upon it, and a huge pile of blank sheets of tracing paper. The young performer looked on in awe as she saw her friend sit down at the desk, putting the glasses over her eyes as she took out a pencil from her bag.

"Rarity…" she whispered, still in shock as her friend got to work immediately, creating a template upon the paper, "This… is so nice of you," she admitted with a smile.

"Anything for a friend, darling," the fashionista responded, "Besides, generosity is my best trait!" she added as her friend smiled, leaning over her shoulder as she worked. Back outside the room, Ash and Fluttershy stood outside the cafeteria, about to go in.

"I feel bad about leaving Serena behind…" the Pokémon trainer admitted, "I wanted to make this trip special for her," he added, somewhat downcast.

"Pika pika pi," Pikachu pointed out to him.

"I think Rarity can cheer her up," Fluttershy reassured, "And, it'll at least take her mind off of the last showcase," she added.

"I hope so…" Ash said, still worried. Suddenly though, his stomach began growling again, making him blush sheepishly as he moved his hands down to his belly.

"Pika Pikachu!" his partner Pokémon yelled.

"Heh…" his trainer laughed, "My bad…" he apologized. Fluttershy let out a little giggle as well.

"Come on," she beckoned, giggling still, "Let's grab something to eat," she offered, walking into the cafeteria with Ash. From afar, the Dazzlings watched the doors to the area shut, overlooking the situation.

"Looks like they've all split up…" Adagio noted with a grin.

"But the kid's still with that… Flutterby girl," Aria pointed out.

"And he's got that weird, electric rat thing with him!" Sonata added.

"Yes, I know," their leader responded in frustration, "There's also the fact that he has his own powers to defend himself," she mentioned, "Even if we do manage to get him alone, he'll be able to get away easily," she explained.

"So how do we get his doohickey off of him now?" the ponytailed girl asked.

"Hmm…" Adagio pondered, looking around and seeing the door to the classroom that Rarity and Serena were in. She then rubbed her chin in thought, before pulling a small grin with a snap of her fingers. "Maybe we can get him to make a trade for his… uh, device," she suggested.

"A trade?" Aria questioned, perplexed.

"Yes," her leader responded, "If we can trick one of his friends into coming with us…" she began, "we can make him give us the device for that person," she explained, making her underlings grin in agreement, "And I know just the one to take…" she added, "His girlfriend," she told them. The other two sirens looked at each other in confusion for a moment before turning back to the puffy haired girl.

"Uh… which one are you talking about Adagio?" Sonata asked, perplexed. Her leader blinked in surprise upon hearing the question.

"What do you mean, 'which one'?" she asked back, "It's obvious who I'm thinking of," she stated.

"The Flutter girl?" Aria questioned, much to her leader's annoyance.

"That wouldn't make sense though," the ponytailed girl of the group noted, "Fluttershy already knows about us from the Battle of the Bands," she mentioned, making Adagio smack herself in the face with her right palm.

"And she knows that we can't be trusted," the pigtailed girl added.

"SHE WASN'T THE GIRL I WAS TALKING ABOUT!" their leader suddenly screamed, getting their attentions immediately. She took a deep breath, relaxing herself before speaking further. "Anyways, the girl that came to Canterlot High with that boy is the one we need to get," she explained. Sonata then walked up to the door to the classroom Rarity and Serena were in, peeking through the small window to see the fashionista throw away a crumpled piece of tracing paper, which landed on the floor.

"Well, she's with another one of those Rainboom girls," the ponytailed girl told her companions as she stepped away from the door.

"We'll have to wait for them to split before we can get the girl," Adagio noted.

"Ugh," Aria groaned, "More waiting?" she questioned out of frustration.

"It'll be worth it soon enough," her leader responded, "We just have to be patient," she noted, leaning up against the lockers with the other two. They remained silent for a few moments, staying a considerable distance away from the classroom door.

"So…" Sonata began, breaking the awkward silence, "you think that new girl's going out with that guy?" she asked Aria.

"I thought he was with that Flutter girl…" her pigtailed companion admitted.

"Ugh…" Adagio groaned, "Enough already…" she pleaded out of annoyance. Meanwhile, the Crusaders, Bonnie, and Applejack were gathered in the library, with Sweetie Belle setting up a camcorder, Apple Bloom practicing her dancing as she spun around in a very silly fashion, and Scootaloo attempting to sing as she cleared her throat.

"Aaah~…" she sung, somewhat off key as her new friend watched from a chair at the computer tables, listening closely, "Aah~-ACK!" she suddenly coughed, putting her left hand over her mouth before she stopped.

"You all right?" Bonnie asked out of concern.

"Eh…" Scootaloo breathed, "I'm good…" she responded, "Just need to warm up the vocals a little more," she said, clearing her throat again. The Lumiose girl looked on worriedly with Dedenne, and then began to hear the sounds of lovely humming coming from another part of the room. She turned to see that it was Sweetie Belle, who had set down her camcorder by a computer to take out three costumes from her backpack, each with interesting designs, but were not that pleasing to the eye.

"Ne Nenay?" Dedenne asked his caretaker, somewhat worried.

"Don't worry Dedenne," Bonnie reassured, "Maybe those are just the prototype costumes before they have the real ones," she suggested, "Like big bro's inventions!" she added with a smile.

"Whoa!" Apple Bloom yelped, falling down to the floor in a heap, all dizzied.

"Y'all right sugarcube?" her older sister asked, coming over to her aid as she lifted her up.

"Ah'm fine sis," she replied, "I'm tryin' to copy the dancin' Scootaloo showed me a while back," she told her, making Bonnie and Dedenne blink in surprise.

"The dance… Scootaloo showed you?" the girl questioned, a little perplexed.

"Ugh!" Sweetie Belle groaned as she was trying to adjust the camcorder again, "Apple Bloom, can I get a little help here?" she asked.

"Sure thing!" her friend replied, jogging over to her, "What do ya need?" she asked.

"I forgot how to zoom in and out with this camera," the light purple haired girl replied, holding it by the strap as her friend took a look at it. Bonnie and Dedenne meanwhile, watched on in wonder as Applejack noticed, chuckling a little.

"Here it is," her sister pointed out to Sweetie Belle, pressing a button upon the camcorder, making the image on the screen zoom out, "And the other button makes it zoom in," she explained, pressing it to make the image on the screen zoom in a bit.

"Thanks," her friend said in gratitude, now able to adjust it herself as she prepped it for recording.

"Hmm…" Bonnie pondered from her seat, rubbing her chin with her right hand in confusion.

"Dennay?" the Antenna Pokémon asked curiously, wondering what she had been thinking about.

"I bet y'all are wonderin' why they're doin' their music video like this," Applejack chimed in, sitting down on a chair next to the Lumiose girl. She nodded in reply, giving off a worried look.

"It seems like their roles to make it are… mixed up…" she admitted.

"That there's an understatement," the cowgirl quipped. Just then, the two heard Scootaloo cough again, as she was still having trouble with her vocals.

"Are y'all okay Scoots?" Apple Bloom asked her friend as she cleared her throat again to try another attempt.

"I'm good," she responded, "But I think I need a little help with hitting that high note…" she admitted, "Sweetie Belle?" she questioned, getting her attention.

"You got it!" she replied, setting the camcorder down by Bonnie and running over to her friend.

"Wait a second girls!" the Lumiose girl cried out, halting her friend from dashing off as she got her, and everyone else's attentions.

"What's the matter Bonnie?" Scootaloo asked. Her new friend paused for a moment before looking back at Applejack, who nodded to her.

"You said you got a ton of views on your last music video, right?" she asked the Crusaders.

"Eeyup!" Apple Bloom replied proudly, "Some people even said it was the funniest thing they've ever seen!" she added excitedly.

"The… funniest?" Bonnie questioned, very confused.

"Yeah, I know," Sweetie Belle agreed unknowingly, placing her left hand upon her new friend's right shoulder, "I never thought we'd cut it as comedians," she admitted, "but we did," she said.

"Comedians?" the Lumiose girl questioned in surprise.

"And now that we've found our talents," Scootaloo began, "we're gonna make another music video to showcase 'em!" she explained happily. Bonnie just blinked in shock before turning her head away to think.

"Somethin' wrong?" Apple Bloom asked. The young Lumiose girl clenched her fists tightly as it was tough to break the truth she realized to her new friends.

"What'd you wanna do with the music video in the first place?" she asked.

"To show everyone how awesome our talents were!" the eccentric, cerise haired girl replied.

"And… did it work?" Bonnie asked. The Crusaders all had their eyes widen in surprise as they realized what she was trying to tell them.

"Well… um…" Sweetie Belle began nervously, trying to find the right way to explain it, "…the video didn't show what we wanted it to show for our talents… but…" she told her, stopping as she developed a somber look.

"Ah think it's because you've been puttin' yourselves in charge of the wrong parts to the video," Applejack pointed out, joining in on the conversation.

"Yeah," the Lumiose girl agreed, "Your sister's coming up with the dance moves," she began listing off, "Sweetie Belle's filming and making the costumes," she continued, "and Scootaloo's the one singing," she finished.

"Why are y'all takin' on those roles if ya don't have any experience in 'em?" the cowgirl asked the Crusaders. Her sister stepped forward after a moment of awkward silence.

"I wanted to do the dancin' cause… you're so good at it," she admitted, making her older sister's eyes widen in surprise.

"Because of… me, you're the one workin' on the choreography?" she asked.

"Mm-hmm…" Apple Bloom replied with a nod, "Applejack, you're the best square dancer ah know 'round these parts," she complimented, making her sister blush sheepishly as she was flattered by the comment, tipping her hat up.

"But, what about the rest of you?" Bonnie asked the other two girls.

"My sister's a big fashion designer around town," Sweetie Belle responded first, rubbing the back of her head, "I guess I thought that her talent of making dresses would rub off on me…" she admitted.

"And I wanted to sing as awesome as Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo exclaimed, "Her songs are the BEST!" she shrieked, drawing the attentions of other faculty members and students within the library.

"SHH!" they shushed simultaneously, making the cerise haired girl clasp her hands over her mouth in embarrassment.

"Sorry…" she whispered in apology.

"Sounds to me that y'all saw us as role models," Applejack noted as she put a hand on her sister's shoulder.

"Yeah…" she began in reply, "but as you could probably tell by now," she continued, "it didn't work," she said.

"And we have no idea _how_ to make it work!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, drawing a few more shushes from afar, "Sorry…" she apologized in a whisper.

"Of course you do!" Bonnie proclaimed, standing up from her seat as she got their attentions, "You've all got your own talents, but you just didn't think that you'd play the part knowing who you are," she explained.

"Come again?" Apple Bloom asked, very perplexed.

"Think about this," the Lumiose girl began, "I might have an older brother, but that doesn't mean I wanna be like him when I grow up," she told the girls.

"Oh…" they said simultaneously in understanding.

"But then…" Sweetie Belle began, putting her hand on her chin, "what should we do?" she asked for the Crusaders.

"Do what you know you can do!" Bonnie exclaimed in reply, "Not what you think you can do!" she added with a wink, "Scootaloo can dance," she began, "Apple Bloom can create," she continued, "and you can sing!" she finished, walking over to the light purple haired girl. The group glanced back at each other, nodding in agreement.

"You really think we can do it?" the country girl of the group asked.

"I know you can do it!" the Lumiose girl responded, "Isn't that right, Dedenne?" she asked the Antenna Pokémon, who crawled onto her left shoulder.

"Day Dennay!" he squeaked in agreement, making all of the Crusaders smile.

"Besides," Applejack chimed in, standing next to Bonnie, "talent's not genetic," she pointed out, "Y'all have to find and make yer own talents that others will remember you by," she told them.

"Ah agree!" her sister said.

"Me too!" Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle agreed, drawing another array of shushes from the others in the library, "Sorry…" they apologized simultaneously in whispers.

"Crusaders," Apple Bloom began, getting their attentions, "if we can get this music video done right, we can show the whole school how talented we really are!" she explained excitedly.

"And there'll no more comments on how funny or awful it'll be," Sweetie Belle added, relieved.

"So let's do it Crusaders!" Scootaloo exclaimed, "And Bonnie," she began, getting the Lumiose girl's attention, "would you wanna be a part of the video too?" she asked as she and the other girls all put their right hands in the middle, waiting patiently for her to do the same. She smiled widely, putting her right hand over the others.

"All right everyone," she began as Applejack looked on, grinning widely, "let's make this music video the best anyone's ever seen!" she exclaimed, throwing her right hand up into the air as the others did the same, excited upon the cheer.

"You can't make a music video without any talent," a voice chimed in, making the Crusaders gasp as they turned around to see who it was, "And with blanks like you, how can you make it?" the voice asked insultingly, making Bonnie look over. She and her new friends saw that there were two girls standing near them. One had pink skin with light purple and white hair that reached down to her shoulders, along with a glorified hairpin shaped like a crown upon it, while wearing a bright yellow jacket with a black shirt underneath, and a white skirt. The one beside her was grey skinned, having silver coated hair braided into a ponytail, shiny glasses over her eyes, and her dress consisted of a purple, white collared shirt with a silver spoon hanging from it, a pearl necklace and bracelet, and a pink skirt. They stared down the girls with confident looks in their eyes upon insulting them.

"Who are those two?" the Lumiose girl asked, quite surprised.

"Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon," Apple Bloom whispered quietly in reply, "They're a part of our class, and the nastiest duo we've ever seen," she added.

"The nastiest?" Bonnie questioned in surprise.

"So," the girl known as Diamond Tiara began, "you so-called 'Crusaders' got a new blank to join your pathetic little group?" she asked mockingly.

"Hey!" Scootaloo yelled, "Bonnie's our friend," she began, glaring at the two girls, "so you better leave her alone!" she shouted.

"Ooh, I'm so scared…" Silver Spoon said sarcastically, before laughing maniacally with her friend.

"And what kind of a name is… Bonnie?" Diamond Tiara asked insultingly, "Is she an exchange student?" she asked on.

"She's _our_ guest," Sweetie Belle told her, standing in front of the Lumiose girl protectively, "So don't try to mess with her," she told the two, glaring at them.

"Ha!" the purple and white haired girl laughed, "I wouldn't dream of it," she said, "She's probably lame now since she's been hanging out with you," she suggested insultingly, making the girls gasp in anger.

"Just what do you want?" Scootaloo asked as she and the others glared at them angrily, while Applejack watched on.

"We overheard that you were gonna make another one of those music videos for the world to see," Diamond Tiara responded as she rubbed her fingers, "But what's the point if you don't have any talent?" she pointed out, "Me and Silver Spoon can make a music video that'll be way better than anything you can make," she told them confidently.

"If they _can_ make it!" her friend mentioned insultingly, laughing loudly with her as the other girls blushed out of embarrassment.

"Of course we can make it!" Bonnie yelled, going up to the girls, "And we'll make sure it's the best thing ever!" she proclaimed.

"Dennay!" Dedenne agreed, crawling onto his partner's head. The other Crusaders smiled as their new friend was backing them up, glaring at Diamond Tiara while she glanced back.

"Sounds to me like there's a friendly competition in the makin'," Applejack chimed in, walking over as she had their attentions, "How 'bout a little idea from one who's been makin' music lately?" she suggested.

"Sure!" the Crusaders agreed excitedly.

"Eh, fine," Diamond Tiara agreed reluctantly, crossing her arms.

"Well, the way ah see it," the cowgirl began, "There's three different parts to makin' a music video," she continued "Style, dancin', and of course, music," she listed off, "So ah was thinkin' y'all could have a little fun competin' to see who's better with makin' each part," she told them.

"That's a great idea!" Bonnie exclaimed in agreement.

"Fine by us," Silver Spoon agreed.

"But we're gonna be the ones to win it all in the end," Diamond Tiara gloated.

"No," Apple Bloom began, standing beside her new friend, "we're gonna win!" she proclaimed as Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo stood beside her. The two rival teams glared each other for a moment before being barraged by more shushes from the others in the library.

"Sorry…" they all apologized in whispers.

"Dennay…" Dedenne sighed as he crawled back into his partner's yellow purse.

 **X**

"Ergh!" Clemont grunted as he was trying to tighten a bolt upon his invention, using a wrench to do so while it sat upon a table. It was still in development, being wide and circular like a saucer. There was a thin edge circling the diameter of its body, with three eyes upon it; one red in the center, and two others on opposing sides that looked a lot like heads, each with a screw drilled into it and a single eye that had a black pupil. It clearly looked mechanical with bolts and screws all around the thin edge of the invention. Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie was at another table, overseeing a blueprint the Lumiose gym leader had come up with.

"It kinda looks like a Magnezone!" she noted, looking closely at the schematics on the paper.

"Er… yeah," the inventor responded as he struggled to tighten the bolt with his strength, "A lot of my inventions are based on different Pokémon, especially Electric types…" he told her, still failing to move the wrench any further. His friend took notice, dashing over quickly and putting her hands over his as she stood behind him, much to his surprise.

"Let's do it together," she said, getting a nod in reply, "One," she began as they tightened their grips on the wrench, "two," she continued, "three!" she exclaimed, and they both turned the tool instantly, tightening the bolt.

"All right!" Clemont said as he removed the wrench from the bolt while Pinkie relinquished her hands.

"Yipee!" she exclaimed in delight, embracing the Lumiose gym leader tightly, making him blush in surprise, "Does that mean the invention's finished?" she asked curiously after letting go of him.

"Uh, not quite…" the inventor responded, going over to his backpack that he had set down on a chair, "I still need to put in the parts that'll load the fireworks and launch them," he explained, "Then I've gotta install a system that'll make sure the fireworks launch correctly," he told her, "and hopefully not explode right away," he added jokingly, causing his friend to giggle.

"Don't worry Clemont," she reassured, "We'll get this doohickey up and running for tonight in no time!" she exclaimed.

"I'm sure we will," the Lumiose gym leader replied as he pulled out a tall yellow rod, resembling appearance of an antenna. He walked back over to his invention, placing the part on top of it, screwing it in carefully. Pinkie watched on curiously as her friend pulled out two more parts from his bag, which resembled giant horseshoe magnets. He placed each one on opposite sides of the invention, having them at a vertical angle before he adjusted them so that they were aimed upwards, screwing them in tightly. "Now I just need to install the system and polish it up," he noted, going over to the back of the invention, opening a compartment that revealed wiring and a control system.

"Ooh…" his friend said in awe, "And to think, you make stuff like this in a snap!" she added, snapping her fingers.

"Heh," Clemont laughed, "Thanks," he said in gratitude, "Ever since I was the gym leader in Lumiose City," he began, "I've had a lot of time to invent new machines and devices," he told her as he continued to update his invention's systems.

"Wait…" Pinkie began to realize, "aren't you heading back to Lumiose City?" she asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Uh, yeah," her friend replied, "Why?" he asked, halting himself from working any further.

"Because Ash said his next gym battle's there," the hyperactive girl responded, "If he's not gonna battle you, who's he gonna battle?" she asked. Clemont was surprised by her questioned, but merely chuckled.

"I am going to battle Ash," he told her, "It was a promise we made after he found out I was the actual gym leader," he explained, using a screwdriver to tighten something inside the compartment of his invention.

"But then, who's been running the gym this whole time?" Pinkie asked.

"A robot I invented," the inventor responded, much to her surprise, "Though, things didn't really work out at first with it…" he admitted, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"Probably because it wasn't like you," his friend suggested, making his eyes widen in shock.

"Eh, yeah…" he replied, stopping himself from working yet again.

"You and Ash must have a _ton_ of history leading up to this battle, right?" Pinkie questioned, getting only a mere nod in reply from Clemont, "So you've gotta make sure that your battle is intense, amazing, and super-duper fun!" she exclaimed, "And the best part," she continued, "you'll get to show him all that you've learned, while he shows the same to you!" she mentioned, making the gym leader smile after his eyes shook in surprise.

"All that I've learned, huh?" he noted, then noticed that the screen inside the compartment read "INSTALLATION COMPLETE".

"Ooh, is it ready?!" his hyperactive friend asked excitedly upon seeing the indication as well.

"Pretty much," Clemont responded, "All we need to do is clean up and load the fireworks for tonight," he told her.

"Yay!" Pinkie exclaimed, hugging the inventor tightly again, making him blush instantaneously. He smiled though, letting his mind ease as his machine was just about finished.

"No…" Rarity sighed as she threw a crumpled piece of tracing paper onto the floor. She was still trying to come up with the perfect design for Serena's dress as she and the rookie performer were inside the classroom, while the latter of the two girls looked over the fashionista's shoulder.

"Uh, Rarity," she began to the indigo haired girl, "maybe you could use a break…" she suggested, noticing the dozens of crumpled up papers lying upon the floor.

"I'll be fine darling," the fashionista responded, putting the last piece of tracing paper before her on the desk, "I just need to-" Suddenly, the tip of her pencil snapped off just as it touched the paper, leaving a distinct mark as the lead rolled off of the desk. "Oh, this is awful!" she exclaimed, crossing her arms over her head as she placed it on the desk in dismay.

"R-Relax, Rarity," Serena advised in a stammer, "I'm sure it's not _that_ easy to come up with a new dress, right?" she questioned, smiling at her as she lifted her head back up.

"It is for me!" she complained, "Fashion designing is something I should be able to do extremely well!" she told her, "It's just that… your dress is difficult to come up with after how gorgeous your other one was," she admitted, letting out a defeated sigh. Her friend looked on worriedly as she had slumped down in her chair, with no more papers to trace on, and no pencils to trace with. She then took notice of a clothing rack with multiple costumes upon it, all in different colors and styles.

"What about some of these?" she asked, pointing them out to the fashionista.

"Oh, those are mostly prototypes of my final dresses," she replied, "But you can try them if you'd like," she suggested, making the rookie performer smile before she took a few dresses from the rack, holding them up to her to see how they looked. Rarity kept watch as her friend tried a few of the dresses, tapping her chin with her right index finger as she pondered something while she put some back and took others. Just then, Serena pulled out a pink dress, with a uniform appearance, a short skirt with yellow stitching, yellow buttons, and yellow garments upon the shoulders that made it look like a marching band costume. "Wait!" she suddenly cried out, stopping her from doing anything else as she looked back at her and blinked, "Sorry…" she apologized, getting up from her chair and walking over to her, "Can you hold up that dress again?" she asked politely. Her friend nodded, having the dress held up right before her body, so that her fashion-designing friend could see it in a way as if it appeared she was actually wearing it. "Hmm…" she pondered, trotting over and examining the dress up close. "Perhaps if we cut off the sleeves and remove a few…" she began, "… and maybe lengthen the skirt a bit…" she continued, "along with showing a midriff…" she added, making Serena blush for a moment.

"Uh, Rarity?" she said, getting her attention, "Do you have an idea now?" she asked. The fashionista responded by snapping her fingers as she realized something.

"Absolutely!" she exclaimed, going back to her backpack upon the floor, zipping it open, "That dress was one of my original designs for the school's band competition a while back," she explained, "And while it may not look good on you now," she admitted, "I'm going to remake it with the utmost improvements!" she proclaimed, pulling out a folder and another pencil from her bag.

"Remake it?" Serena questioned, "Rarity, that's… going to take a while…" she noted worriedly.

"Oh, don't worry about it, darling," the fashion designer reassured, "I have all the fabrics and materials I need to make it elegant," she began, walking over to another table with the paper and pencil, where multiple fabrics of different colors were located, "and I can get it done in under an hour," she said.

"An hour?!" her friend exclaimed in shock, "Rarity, I appreciate that you're trying to push yourself…" she began, "but don't you think you're over-!" A bright flash of light suddenly interrupted her sentence as she looked to see her fashionista friend transform, sprouting pony ears and a long, curly ponytail.

"You were saying?" she questioned sarcastically, removing her glasses as she set them down on the table beside her.

"But…" Serena began unsurely, "I thought Ash wasn't okay with you using your magic…" she noted.

"In his universe, darling," Rarity pointed out, "Here, my magic has no boundaries," she added, putting a hand upon her friend's shoulder after she had walked over to her.

"So then…" she began to realize, "… you're gonna fix up the dress this way?" she asked.

"Absolutely!" the fashion designer replied as a light blue, magical aura enveloped her hands, "I'm going to make sure it has the correct colors, style, and elegance that any performer would need!" she explained excitedly as suddenly, white and red fabrics began floating in the magical aura as well, heading over towards her.

"Is there anything you need me to do?" Serena asked as her friend placed the fabrics upon the desk.

"Yes, actually," she responded, "Could you get the gloves from your previous dress?" she asked, "I think they'd work rather nicely with this new design," she admitted.

"Way ahead of you!" the rookie performer replied, dashing over to her backpack. In the meantime, Rarity floated a mannequin over, along with measuring tape and scissors. Her friend then ran back over, holding her long, white gloves from the old dress in her hands.

"Perfect!" she responded, "Now let's get this under way!" she exclaimed, making the first cut into the red fabric with the scissors as she levitated them carefully.

"All right y'all," Applejack began as she, the Crusaders, Bonnie, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were all gathered in the school's art room, with two blank canvases set up before the two split up teams, each with two paintbrushes and many colors of paint, "the first challenge is gonna focus on style," the cowgirl told the groups, "Each music video has its own unique style to go with whatever music and dance numbers y'all want," she explained, "Like makin' costumes or backgrounds for shows," she mentioned as an example.

"Cool!" Bonnie exclaimed, while the two bullies rolled their eyes, catching the attentions of the other Crusaders, who glared back at them angrily.

"Yer challenge is gonna be to paint somethin' that represents yer style on the canvas," Applejack explained, "And to add to it," she continued, "ah'm only givin' y'all ten minutes to make it," she told them.

"Ten minutes?!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed in shock, "How do you expect us to come up with something and make it in ten minutes?!" she asked, now very concerned.

"What's the matter, blank?" Diamond Tiara asked mockingly, getting her attention, "Afraid of not being fast enough to make anything at all?" she questioned, laughing maniacally with Silver Spoon afterwards. The light purple haired girl growled in anger as she clenched her fists tightly.

"I'll show you what's done fast!" she threatened, about to attack the bullies, but not as her friends held her by the shoulders, while Bonnie got in front of her.

"Now, now…" she pleaded to her new friend. Dedenne jumped out of her yellow purse, crawling onto her head.

"Dennay Day Dennay," he mimicked, trying to ease Sweetie Belle's anger as well. She took a deep breath, backing away as her friends let her go.

"By the way," Applejack chimed in, "since Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are a team of just two," she continued, "ah'm thinking y'all should just have two players for this here game," she suggested.

"What?!" her sister exclaimed in shock, "Applejack, how's that fair?!" she asked.

"It is what it is," she responded sternly, placing her hands on her hips, "Now, who's gonna paint?" she asked, changing the subject.

"I'll do it!" Sweetie Belle answered, chiming in.

"Wait a sec," Bonnie advised, putting a hand on her shoulder, "Maybe you should let someone else do this…" she suggested. Her new friend widened her eyes in surprise, as did the other Crusaders. But then they saw the supportive look in the Lumiose girl's eyes, determined for them to trust her on the decision.

"Well then… who's gonna go if Sweetie Belle isn't?" Scootaloo asked, breaking the silence between them.

"I think Apple Bloom should do it with me," Bonnie replied, much to the country girl's surprise as her eyes widened.

"Me?!" she exclaimed, "But ah don't know if ah can-"

"Yes, you can," Bonnie reassured, walking over to her, "You'll get to show your sister what you're really good at," she mentioned, "and I'll have your back," she promised, making her smile.

"... Okay," she said after a deep breath, then walked over to one of the canvases with her teammate while the other two Crusaders looked on.

"The country girl's gonna try and make art?" Diamond Tiara questioned in semi-surprise, "You must be desperate," she mocked, then began laughing maniacally again with Silver Spoon. Apple Bloom sighed, having had enough of the duo's bullying for one day. But the Lumiose girl placed a hand on her left shoulder, getting her attention as she turned to see the supportive and confident look in her eyes, pumping her fist excitedly. She smiled, grabbing one of the paintbrushes by the canvas while her friend did the same.

"Okay," Applejack said as she pulled out a red stopwatch from the right pocket of her jean skirt, seeing that both teams had their brushes ready, "Ten minutes is all ya got," she reiterated, standing between the two canvases as she had her right thumb ready to press the start button, "Are y'all ready?" she asked, getting nods in reply from both duos, who then glanced back at each other, "On yer marks…" she began as the two teams readied their brushes over the small cups of paints, "…Get set…" she continued while her sister and Bonnie licked their lips nervously, "…GO!" she exclaimed, clicking the start button of the stopwatch. Upon hearing the cowgirl's sound off, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon got right to work, dipping the tips of their brushes into the paint cups, and immediately began drawing together on the canvas.

"Oh no…" Sweetie Belle realized as she and Scootaloo saw that their teammates were still discussing what they were going to paint, "Those two need to get going or we're gonna lose!" she exclaimed in a loud whisper. Suddenly though, the cerise haired girl noticed the two nod at each other, dipping their brushes into respective paint cups before starting to sketch on the canvas together.

"All right!" their eccentric teammate exclaimed in a whisper from afar. Both teams painted vigorously as time winded down on Applejack's stopwatch, with serious looks in their eyes while sweating in anxiety. What was only supposed to be ten minutes felt like forever as both teams kept on detailing their respective work.

"And… done!" the cowgirl called out, making both teams of two put their brushes down as they stopped working, with the duo of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon smiling, confident in their final product. Sweetie Belle nervously bit her lip while Scootaloo clasped her hands together, hoping that they would win the first challenge. The sophomore then walked over to the bullies, about to take a look at their painting first.

"I think you'll find this picture to be very elegant," the ponytailed girl of the two told her, moving out of the way with her teammate to let Applejack observe it. The painting was sparkly, being a silver tiara over a silver spoon, which was perpendicular too it. It was well detailed, including the silvery shine both objects would normally have in reality.

"Hm," the cowgirl said as she rubbed her chin with her right hand while she judged it, "Good work y'all," she complimented, "That paintin' sure has a lotta shine an' shimmer," she added, making the duo smile as they had good comments from the judge. Meanwhile, Bonnie and Apple Bloom looked at each other nervously, knowing that their opponents' painting would be a tough act to follow. "All right Apple Bloom," her sister began, "let's see what you and Bonnie came up with," she said, coming over towards them. The young country girl looked back at her teammate, who nodded to her as her older sister approached. They moved out of the way, allowing her to view the canvas while the duo of bullies looked on, smirking evilly. Suddenly, she gasped in surprise, placing her right hand over her mouth.

"Wh-What is Applejack?" her sister asked, worried that she didn't like the painting. However, it was far from inadequate, as the painting was a field of apple trees, overlooked by a majestic sunset that reflected down onto a river below. It was very well detailed for the short time the team had to make it, and the cowgirl saw all of it in its beauty, with the detailed trees, grasses, water, and sunset sky. Tears of joy started to well up her eyes, and upon taking notice, Apple Bloom and Bonnie smiled widely, as did the other two Crusaders.

"Heh…" Applejack sniffed as she wiped away her tears, regaining her composure as the two bullies were not pleased with how she was swayed by their opponents' painting, "Well, that's mighty fine work there you two," she complimented, making the duo smile at each other, "Now then," she began, "to be fair, both paintin' were pretty impressive in showin' off yer styles," she told them, "But only one got my attention fer the longest time," she admitted, "and that one was mah sister's," she said, making Apple Bloom smile in delight with Bonnie.

"Does that mean we won?!" Sweetie Belle asked excitedly as Scootaloo began to smile widely.

"Mm-hmm," the cowgirl responded with a simple nod.

"WOOHOO!" the four young girls exclaimed in victory as they leapt up.

"Dennay!" Dedenne squeaked in delight, crawling onto his partner's head after she landed with the Crusaders. Diamond Tiara stomped her foot against the ground, frustrated with the loss.

"All right y'all!" Applejack called out, getting all of their attentions, "Next up, we'll be doin' a dance off," she told them, "So make sure you got yer dancin' shoes!" she pointed out with a little chuckle, walking out of the art room. The two teams then followed, both glaring at one another before they exited.

"Don't act all high and mighty 'cause you won that round," the pink skinned girl advised as they reached the doorway, "Your sister just gave you the benefit of a doubt," she told them, "The next one won't be so easy," she said, trotting off with Silver Spoon, laughing alongside her.

"Give me a break…" Sweetie Belle groaned as she put her left hand up to her head in agony.

"Don't worry girls," Bonnie reassured, "We're gonna show 'em just how talented we all can be!" she exclaimed, getting confident nods in reply.

"Day Dennay!" Dedenne agreed.

"So let's get out there and win!" Scootaloo yelled, running off with the others following close behind.

"Mmm…" Ash said out of pleasure as he chowed down on a slice of cheese pizza. He, Fluttershy, and Pikachu were sitting at the entrance steps to the school, having their lunch as the shy girl was eating a salad, while the Mouse Pokémon munched down on bits of Pokémon food from a bowl.

"Is it good?" Fluttershy asked after she swallowed a piece of her salad.

"Mm-hmm!" the Pokémon trainer responded with a simple nod as his mouth was full of chewed up pizza.

"Pika…" Pikachu sighed as his trainer swallowed down his food quickly, making their friend giggle.

"The food here's really good," Ash complimented, taking a smaller bite of the pizza, chewing it quickly.

"I think so too," Fluttershy admitted, eating up another bite of her salad, letting her teeth break it down as she began to think of something before swallowing, "Ash?" she said, getting his attention as he had finished his slice of pizza, licking his lips, "…Are you… sure she's all right?" she asked. The Pokémon trainer blinked for a moment in surprise before grinning.

"Of course!" he replied, "I know Korra's gonna be just-"

"I wasn't talking about Korra," the shy girl interrupted, making his eyes widen as he realized whom she was referring to, "…I'm really worried that Serena's lost her will to perform after that Showcase…" she told him, wrapping her arms around her knees after she put her plate of salad down. Her friend looked up at the sky, concerned as well for his traveling companion.

"I know she's strong," he said, looking back down while Fluttershy paid attention to him, as did Pikachu, "But I never thought she'd change in such a big way after it happened," he admitted, "You're never gonna get stronger if you don't learn from your mistakes," he explained, "That's what I think she's needs to do," he told them.

"Pika pi, pika!" Pikachu agreed, going back to nibbling down on his Pokémon food.

"You're right Ash," Fluttershy said, "If she can accept that it happened," she began, "then she'll only get better," she told him, getting a nod in reply from the Pokémon trainer, "It was strange though," she admitted, "Being in a competition like that for the first time, and I almost won…" she noted, remembering how close she came.

"You were awesome!" Ash exclaimed, standing up, "Your Vivillon and Minun worked together so well during the free performance!" he mentioned, making the shy girl blush a little.

"I wouldn't have even tried to do it in front of a crowd if it weren't for Serena…" she admitted, surprising the Pokémon trainer, but made him grin again, "Though, I wish I did more for the free performance…" she added, causing her friends to raise their eyebrows in suspicion.

"Oh yeah…" Ash realized, "You had Vivillon during the theme performance, and then both her and Minun for the free performance…" he remembered, rubbing his chin with his right hand, "What happened to Buneary though?" he wondered.

"Huh…" Fluttershy sighed after she had finished her salad, standing up with the paper plate and plastic utensils in her hands, "She's… a little stubborn…" she admitted, looking away shamefully.

"Stubborn?" the Pokémon trainer questioned, somewhat surprised as his friend took out a Poké Ball from her backpack.

"I wanted her to be my partner for the theme performance," she began, "but she didn't want to," she told him, "So I had to change plans and go with Vivillon instead," she finished, "Huh…" she sighed again, "And to think, she's my first Pokémon…" she added, while her eyes were beginning to tear up as she held the Poké Ball in her hands. Ash and Pikachu both had sympathetic looks on their faces, and then the Pokémon trainer's eyes widened, having realized something as he snapped his fingers.

"Why not have a battle with Buneary?" he suggested.

"A battle?" Fluttershy questioned, somewhat surprised as she turned to face him.

"Yeah!" he responded as Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder, having finished his food, "If there's anything that helps a trainer and his Pokémon grow closer," he began, "it's definitely a battle," he told her.

"…B-But I've never had a b-b-battle against anyone before…" she stuttered, "And I don't think I could go up against someone like you…" she admitted.

"It's okay," Ash told her, "To tell the truth, I'm gonna battle you with my new friend," he said, pulling out a Poké Ball from his belt, enlarging it as he pressed its center button.

"A new friend?" Fluttershy questioned, somewhat surprised.

"Come on out!" the Pokémon trainer beckoned, opening the containment. The bright light that poured out of it went onto the ground, and then flashed, revealing Goomy lying before his friends.

"Goo?" he said in surprise, looking up to see his trainer and the pink haired girl next to him. She gasped in surprise, squatting down to get a closer look at the Soft Tissue Pokémon.

"Who's this little guy?" she asked, holding her hand out to the slimy Dragon type.

"This is Goomy," Ash introduced as he bent over, putting his hands on his knees, "He's kinda shy…," he mentioned, "but he'll grow to like you after a while," he told her, making her smile.

"Goo…" the Soft Tissue Pokémon said nervously, moving closer to Fluttershy's hand, about to contact it with his slimy skin.

"It's okay," the shy girl reassured, "I won't hurt you…" she added, adjusting her left arm on the ground so that it was like a ramp to her shoulder. This surprised the Dragon type for a moment, but he then crawled onto her arm, going up to her shoulder, leaving a slimy trail behind upon the girl.

"Goo Goomy!" he exclaimed delightedly as his new friend stood up with his trainer.

"He's so cute!" Fluttershy said, nuzzling against him. He then began nibbling at her left ear, making her giggle uncontrollably, "H-Hey!" she yelped, "Th-that tickles!" she yelled while still giggling, making Ash and Pikachu laugh as well.

"Okay, Goomy," Ash pleaded, "That's enough," he said, causing the Dragon type to respond immediately, jumping off of the shy girl's shoulder and into his trainer's arms. "So, you up for a battle now?" he asked her.

"Mm-hmm," she responded with a simple nod, "I think it'll help us both in the long run," she added.

"Yeah!" her friend agreed, "Goomy, are you ready for your first battle?" he asked the Soft Tissue Pokémon.

"Mee?!" he exclaimed in surprise with his eyes widening.

"It's okay, little guy," Fluttershy reassured as she got the Dragon type's attention, "It's my first battle too," she admitted, "so let's both do our best!" she told him, making the look on his face change to a more determined look.

"Goo, Goomy Goo Goo!" he squeaked in exclamation to his trainer.

"Sounds like you're all fired up!" Ash noted, "Thanks for that, Fluttershy," he said in gratitude, making her blush slightly, "Now let's get our battle started!" he exclaimed, running off, with his friend and partner Pokémon following them. Back inside the school at the gymnasium, the Crusaders, the bullies, and Applejack were all gathered, ready to start the second round of their competition.

"Okay y'all," the cowgirl began, getting everyone's attentions, "second round's gonna go like this," she continued, "In another two on two, y'all are gonna have a dance off," she explained.

"Who should we go with this time, Bonnie?" Apple Bloom asked in a whisper while Diamond Tiara began chatting with Silver Spoon.

"I think I should still go for this round…" the Lumiose girl replied quietly, "And we should have Scootaloo partner up with me," she added.

"Ahem!" Applejack coughed, getting their attentions as the two girls stood up straight while the judge glared at them for not listening. "As I was sayin'," she began again, "the dance off goes on for just five minutes," she told them, holding out her five, right handed fingers to emphasize the point, "The ones standin' tall at the end of it will be the ones who win!" she added.

"Five minutes?" Diamond Tiara questioned, "Pssh," she said, brushing her jacket with her right hand, "Piece of cake," she gloated, then turned to glance at the Crusaders, who glared back at her and Silver Spoon, with the cerise haired girl gritting her teeth in anger as well.

"Grr…" she growled, clenching her fists as she was prepared to win.

"Day, Dennay!" Dedenne squeaked from his partner's purse, which lied upon the ground.

"That's right!" Bonnie agreed, jogging up to her friend's side, "Scootaloo, let's do this!" she exclaimed, getting a grin in reply from her before they stared down the competition, who only glanced back confidently. Meanwhile, Apple Bloom and Sweetie stood by Applejack, who reached into her pocket, pulling out her phone.

"Oh yeah," her little sister realized upon noticing her phone, "Big sis, what kinda music are ya gonna play for 'em?" she asked curiously.

"Somethin' classic," the cowgirl responded as she scrolled through her cellular device, with an arrow icon appearing on her screen, "All right y'all," she said, getting the competitors' attentions, "On yer marks," she began, making the two duos get into ready stances, "…get set…" she continued as they began to eye each other nervously, "…and… dance!" she exclaimed, pressing the play icon on her screen. A country style tune began to play, and the two teams began to move, beginning their routines in a flurry. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon began with elegant ballerina-like spins, followed by intertwining their hands as their bodies moved to the beat together. Meanwhile, Scootaloo and Bonnie were dancing separately, with the Lumiose girl dancing with her feet as they moved around rapidly, while Scootaloo was grooving with her arms, waving them around at a much smoother level.

"Uh oh…" Sweetie Belle said as she noticed, putting her left hand up to her forehead.

"If they don't work together soon, Applejack's surely gonna make those jerks the winners!" Apple Bloom exclaimed quietly.

"Wait, look!" her light purple haired friend pointed out. She turned and gasped to see their two friends now standing back to back, both having their eyes closed as they then clasped their hands together in front of each other respectively, waiting for the right moment as the others watched in awe. Suddenly, the two girls opened their eyes, unclasped their hands, and then intertwined each other's as they moved along to the beat as quickly as they could.

"Yeehaw!" Apple Bloom cheered.

"Dennay!" Dedenne squeaked in delight. Scootaloo spun Bonnie around for a quick second, and then she did the same to her spunky friend. They both laughed, having fun while the opposing team began to glare them down angrily. What seemed like forever only turned out to be a few minutes like the last competition, as both teams sweated their way through the dance routines, only having a handful of seconds left to spare.

"Come on Scoots!" Sweetie Belle cheered, "Show 'em who's the dancin' queen around these parts!" she yelled, making the duo of bullies both growl in anger. They then span away from each like elegant ballerinas again, about to make a dramatic finish as they leapt towards each other, meaning to cross paths, but not intercept. However, they did make contact just as they crossed, causing them to both fall down on their rear ends, rather than land safely on their feet.

"Ooh…" Apple Bloom cringed, "Are y'all right?" she asked out of concern. Diamond Tiara just glanced away, not wanting sympathy from her enemy. She and Silver Spoon then looked to see Scootaloo spin Bonnie around for a final time, right before the Lumiose girl fell into her left arm, just as the song ceased.

"Time's up!" Applejack cried out, seeing both teams had finished their routines one way or another, "So, it looks like the Crusaders are the ones still standin' after all that," she noted with her hands at her hips, making the dancing duo smile excitedly, "Y'all win this round," she declared with a grin.

"Yahoo!" Bonnie exclaimed, letting her cerise haired friend lift her back up so that she could embrace her in a tight hug.

"We did it!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, dashing over with Apple Bloom as they embraced their friends, along with Dedenne, who crawled onto the Lumiose girl's head.

"Day, Dennay Dennay!" he squeaked delightedly, getting the girls' attentions as they all giggled.

"How were y'all able to get in sync like that?" the country girl asked, very curious, as was the light purple haired girl. Bonnie and Scootaloo glanced at each other, but then smiled before they answered.

"We just made it easy for ourselves, and didn't try to make things too hard for each other," the Lumiose girl explained in reply.

"Wow…" Sweetie Belle said in awe while from afar, Diamond Tiara glared at them, while Silver Spoon worriedly hand her hands clasped together.

"We've already lost two rounds of this competition, and they'll probably win again…" the grey skinned girl admitted to her friend shamefully, "Maybe we should just give up…" she suggested.

"No!" the pink skinned girl yelled, "The last event is the one I know we can beat them at!" she proclaimed.

"All right folks!" Applejack called out, now at the exit of the gym, "Last round's outside!" she yelled to them.

"You heard her," Apple Bloom said to her teammates, "Let's end this with a bang!" she exclaimed, running out as the other Crusaders followed.

"Are you sure we can do this?" Silver Spoon asked her friend as they were the only ones left in the gym.

"Trust me," Diamond Tiara said, "We're _gonna_ do it," she began, "and we're gonna show those blanks who the real queens of this school are!" she declared, walking off.

"Hah… hah…" Rarity panted from inside the classroom as she sat at the desk, with a mess of fabrics and supplies in front of her. She had deactivated her magic, losing her pony ears and ponytail while she was sweating madly.

"Are you okay, Rarity?" Serena asked from behind a foldable wall, put up for her to change into the new costume.

"I'm… fine, darling…" the fashionista breathed as she managed to stand back up, "I was trying to pace myself with my magic…" she explained, still somewhat out of breath.

"What do you mean by that?" her friend asked.

"Oh," the indigo haired girl realized, "Well, as it's the same with Rainbow Dash," she began, "I can only use my magic for about ten minutes before I faint," she explained, "So, I try not to push my limits, but rather make sure I don't reach them before I change back for a few minutes," she told her, "just to recharge anyway," she added.

"Sounds like you should rest for a minute…" Serena noted worriedly, peeking out from the foldable wall.

"Oh, it's all right," Rarity responded, "More importantly, are you almost dressed?" she asked, putting her hands together in anticipation.

"Uh, almost," the rookie performer replied, "Just need to put this on…" she said, with her silhouette picking up something from the floor, and then placing it on the top of her head. "Okay, I'm ready," she declared, about to fold the wall as she placed her left hand upon an end of it. She pushed it aside, causing her friend to gasp as she saw her in the new costume: a uniform style look separated into a top and a skirt, along with the long gloves over her arms. Her midriff showed below a white and red top, decorated as if she was part of a marching band as the back of it extended down to her legs, with golden yellow buttons attached by small, yellow ropes holding it together at the front. Her skirt was a simple red, mixed with golden yellow in between each crease, while her footwear was white boots, each with red stripes. To top it off, she bore a floral crown upon her head, white, pink, and vibrant.

"Oh… my…" the fashionista said slowly in shock.

"Is it… all right?" Serena asked, looking herself over as her friend approached, "Maybe it's a little too much…" she suggested, "Should we try something-"

"Darling," Rarity began, interrupting the rookie performer, "it's perfect," she proclaimed, much to her surprise.

"Y-You really think so?" she asked with a stutter.

"Of course I do!" the fashionista replied, "Serena, you look positively _gorgeous_ in that outfit!" she exclaimed delightedly.

"Thank you Rarity," her friend said in gratitude, "This did cheer me up," she added, making her smile.

"I assume Ash had promised to try and raise your spirits before you came here, right?" the designer questioned, going over to the desk as she grabbed her backpack, about to put a few of her supplies away while also getting something else.

"Yeah…" Serena replied, blushing a little, "He went out of his own way to try and cheer me up by having us come here," she explained, grinning out of joy.

"That's the kind of person I know him as," Rarity noted, somewhat surprising her friend as she blinked, "Ash wouldn't go one second with any of us getting frustrated or sad," she told her, "He'd always find a way to make us smile," she added, making the rookie performer smile happily, "Now here," the fashionista said, getting the girl's attention as she held a hanger under a plastic covering, "You can fold the dress up on that after you change," she mentioned to her.

"Okay, thanks," Serena responded, heading back behind the foldable wall as she pulled it in, concealing herself while she was about to change back into her regular dress. Rarity meanwhile, continued to pack up her bag with the tape measurer and a few of her fabrics. Just outside the window of the classroom, Ash and Fluttershy were on the soccer field, about to have their friendly battle.

"Goo Goomy!" Goomy squeaked as he jumped out of his trainer's arms, landing right in front of him as he prepared himself for the bout.

"Ready to go, Fluttershy?" Ash called out in question.

"Ready!" she responded, enlarging the Poké Ball in her left hand. Pikachu then ran towards the sideline of the field, positioning himself at the center between the two eventual battlers.

"Pika pi, pika!" he cried out, "Pikachu, pika pi, chu pika!" he explained in exclamation, making both his trainer and his friend chuckle as he was pretending to be the referee.

"Okay…" the shy girl said as she winded up her left arm, "Go Buneary!" she called out, throwing the spherical containment high up into the air before it opened. The light from it spilled forth onto the ground, forming into the Rabbit Pokémon after it dissipated with a flash.

"Hm?" Rarity said as the flash of light had caught her attention, just as she had finished packing her bag. She stood up and walked over to the window, seeing Ash and Fluttershy about to start their battle. "Serena?" she said, trying to get her attention.

"Yeah?" she responded, just as she put her boots on.

"Are you almost finished changing?" the fashionista asked.

"Yeah, why?" the rookie performer asked, placing her hat upon her head.

"Because I think Ash and Fluttershy are about to have a battle out on the soccer field…" Rarity told her, much to her surprise as she gasped.

"Bun…" Buneary growled from outside as she stared down Goomy, who only blinked a couple of times in response, "Buneary!" she grunted, turning away from her opponent as she crossed her stubby little arms, refusing to battle.

"Oh, Buneary!" her trainer groaned while from the other side of the field, the capped boy sighed as he was witnessing the Rabbit Pokémon's stubbornness firsthand. "Please Buneary!" the shy girl pleaded, "This is an actual battle," she pointed out, "something you'll like!" she added, "I hope…" she whispered to herself.

"Bun!" the Normal type responded, still refusing to battle.

"Come on…" Ash groaned, rubbing the back of his head.

"Goomy Mee!" Goomy suddenly yelled, getting Buneary's attention, much to the surprise of his trainer and Fluttershy, "Goo, Goomy Goo!" he squeaked angrily, feeling as if the Rabbit Pokémon was underestimating him.

"Bu…" she said, somewhat surprised as she turned back to face her opponent, "Bun, Buneary!" she yelled.

"Goo!" the Soft Tissue Pokémon shouted, having a determined look in his eyes.

"Bun!" the Normal type responded as she got into a battle ready stance, feeling infuriated by the Dragon type's words.

"You're… gonna battle now?" her trainer asked, surprised after the Normal type's initial response.

"Bun bun!" she replied, gritting her teeth angrily as she faced her opponent. Meanwhile, from inside the classroom, Serena stood by Rarity at the window as the battle was about to commence.

"All right Goomy," Ash began, "let's start things off with Rain Dance!" he ordered.

"Goo!" the Soft Tissue Pokémon responded, "MEE!" he shrieked into the air. All of a sudden, a small, yet dark cloud formed right over Buneary's head, with rain then pouring out of it in a hurry, much to her surprise.

"Bun!" she screamed, mad that the drops of water were ruining her fluffy fur coat.

"Don't worry Buneary!" her trainer reassured, "Use Quick Attack!" she commanded. The Rabbit Pokémon then dashed forward at a blinding speak as a small, white aura outlined her body while she charged at the Dragon type.

"Goomy, quick!" Ash cried out, "Use Bide!" he exclaimed. A red aura cloaked the Soft Tissue Pokémon just before the Normal type struck, sending him sliding back a few feet as she then jumped away.

"I never thought I'd see the day Fluttershy would actually battle someone…" Rarity admitted from inside the classroom.

"Well, that's Ash for you," Serena mentioned as she had changed back into her regular clothes, "He can convince anyone to try something!" she added with a smile, making her friend giggle.

"Being that it was Fluttershy, I shouldn't be all that surprised," she noted, causing the rookie performer to widen her eyes in surprise.

"Wh-What do you mean?" she asked.

"Okay Buneary," the shy girl began as the battle seemed to be at a standstill, "use Defense-!" Suddenly though, the Rabbit Pokémon rushed forward without any command, as her arms glowed a bright white. She then struck Goomy over and over with her paws, as the red aura around him grew.

"Pika?" Pikachu said in confusion.

"No Buneary!" Fluttershy cried out, "I wanted you to use Defense Curl, not Pound!" she yelled, but so quietly that her Pokémon couldn't hear her.

"Oh boy…" Ash said as he understood what it was like when his past Pokémon ignored his commands. The Normal type then jumped away from his Pokémon, exhausted from the constant striking. "Okay Goomy," he began as the Dragon type was cloaked in a large red aura now, "let it rip!" he ordered. The Soft Tissue Pokémon opened his mouth, and suddenly, a large beam of white light right towards the Rabbit Pokémon, colliding with her in a big explosion, with a burst of dust to follow.

"Ah!" the shy girl yelped in surprise as her Pokémon tumbled out of the dust cloud across the ground, covered in scrapes as the attack had done very significant damage to her. She growled in frustration, standing back up.

"Nice one Goomy!" Ash complimented.

"Mee, Goo!" the Dragon type squeaked in delight.

"Those two became friends almost instantaneously," Rarity told Serena from inside the classroom as they kept watching, "And they each were fascinated by the… um… creatures in either of their worlds," she added on.

"Well, they look like they're having fun out there…" her friend noted as the battle continued.

"They are friends, after all," the fashionista pointed out, "And of course, they've gone on a date," she mentioned, causing the rookie performer's eyes to instantly widen.

"A d-d-date?!" she stuttered in absolute shock, blushing slightly.

"Oh, yes," Rarity responded, "Ash sounded so proud of himself when he announced that he and Fluttershy were… going out…" she told her friend, making her mouth gape in disbelief, "And if I recall correctly," she began, "he was part of a 'spin the bottle' game during a slumber party," she remembered, "And he was the only to actually kiss someone," she mentioned, causing Serena to instantly clasp her hands over her mouth, now blushing intensely as she knew who her crush had smooched.

"Buneary, Jump Kick!" Fluttershy ordered from outside, as the Rabbit Pokémon leapt up while both of her feet glowed a bright white.

"Goomy, Bide again!" Ash commanded. The Soft Tissue once again had a red aura surround him just before the Normal Type struck with her left foot, causing the glow to enlarge.

"Okay Buneary, use-" But just like before, the Rabbit Pokémon leapt up again, coming down with her right foot as she stomped down on the Dragon type again, making the aura around him grow even larger. "Oh no…" her trainer said, worriedly putting her hands in front of her face. After her Pokémon struck for a third time, sending her opponent sliding back across the grass, the aura around him became massive just as she jumped away.

"Goomy, let 'er rip!" his trainer ordered again.

"Mee!" the Dragon type responded, opening his mouth once again. A white beam of light then blasted out before it, heading straight for the Normal type.

"Buneary, look out!" Fluttershy yelled, but was too late as the beam struck her Pokémon while was still in midair from the last Jump Kick.

"BUN!" she shrieked before falling to the ground in a heap upon the explosion that followed, tumbling across the grass before she stopped, lying on her back with her eyes in swirls.

"Pika pi," Pikachu cried out as he saw that the Rabbit Pokémon was unable to continue, "Chu pi, pika!" he exclaimed, directing his left paw towards Goomy to indicate his victory.

"You did it Goomy!" Ash exclaimed in delight.

"Goo!" the Soft Tissue Pokémon squeaked happily, jumping into his trainer's arms.

"Bun…" Buneary sighed from the other side of the field as she sat up. Her trainer walked over, bending down to pick her up from the ground.

"It's okay, Buneary," she reassured, "You did great for your first battle," she admitted, "but I think we need to work on teamwork for next time," she suggested, petting the Normal type on the head as she looked out at her friend as his Pokémon, "Ash and Goomy were in total sync through the whole battle…" she noted, "so we have to do our best when we're performing in the showcases!" she told the Rabbit Pokémon, who smiled back at her trainer.

"Pika pi, pika!" Pikachu complimented after he jumped onto his trainer's shoulder, making the Soft Tissue Pokémon blush in flattery.

"Goo…!" he squealed, kind of shocked that he was able to win. Fluttershy then trotted over, while inside the school, Rarity and Serena had seen everything.

"You sounded… quite surprised when I told you about those two…" the fashionista noted to her friend, "You never knew?" she questioned.

"No… I didn't…" she responded, "I-I mean… I probably should've known…" she admitted, looking back out to see the two laughing together with their Pokémon. She sighed deeply, looking down at the floor.

"Well… if you're still up to it," Rarity began as she grabbed her bag off of the floor, unzipping it open before beginning to rummage through it, "I was thinking we could work on our free performances for the showcases," she recommended, while Serena was actually about to walk out of the room, "Of course, I know that you never had an actual free performance," she remembered as she pulled out a couple Poké Balls, "but I thought together we could come up with new ideas for-" She stopped her sentence the moment she heard the sound of the door close, compelling her turn and see that her friend had left the room. "Serena?" she said, puzzled. Outside, the rookie performer sighed as she walked away, with her arms crossed as unbeknownst to her, the Dazzlings watched her pass by.

"Perfect…" Adagio said, rubbing her hands together, but then blinked as she realized something, "But we can't grab her out of the blue," she noted.

"So, we're still waiting?" Aria asked with a groan.

"For a twist of fate, hopefully," her leader replied, "Just keep a close eye on her until we get that chance," she told the two before walking off, carefully following the girl. Meanwhile, outside at the front of the school, the Crusaders, bullies, and Applejack were gathered for the last round of the competition.

"You blanks don't stand a chance in this round!" Diamond Tiara shouted.

"Yeah, what she said!" Silver Spoon agreed.

"If there's one thing you can't best us in, it's singing," the pink skinned girl proclaimed, "After all, _we_ technically got farther in the "Battle of the Bands" with our singing," she gloated with crossed arms, making the Crusaders all growl at her.

"Okay, that's enough," Applejack advised before any conflict could start, "Last round here's mighty simple," she told the two teams, "Two players fer each team go up and start singing as strong as they can," she explained, "and then, once y'all have reached the highest pitch you can go," she continued, "try to smoothen it out before finishin', all right?" she finished, crossing her arms.

"Fair enough, Applejack!" her sister replied, huddling together with her friends as from afar, Diamond Tiara and Silver began to ready their voices.

"Okay, last round…" Scootaloo noted in a whisper, "Who goes and who doesn't?" she asked.

"Ah think we should have Bonnie go again, just to be safe," Apple Bloom admitted, making the Lumiose girl smile.

"Okay… then who should be her partner?" Sweetie Belle asked, glancing around. The others just glanced right back at her, including Dedenne, indicating that she should be the one to compete. "Me?!" she exclaimed in shock.

"Don't worry, Sweetie Belle," her new, blonde haired friend reassured, "If we're together, nothing can stop us!" she said confidently. The light purple haired girl was surprised, but nodded anyways, grinning as the group got out of their huddle, ready to begin the last event.

"All right, are y'all set?" Applejack asked as the two teams of two approached each other.

"Oh, we're ready all right," Diamond Tiara stated confidently as she and Silver Spoon were both finished warming up their vocal chords.

"Let's do it!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed as she and Bonnie stared down the competition. The cowgirl looked at both teams before raising her right arm into the air.

"…And… GO!" she exclaimed, swinging it down to indicate the last event had begun.

"Aah~," the four girls began singing, with an easy pitch to start things off. As they went higher and higher with their pitches, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom grew more and more nervous, hoping that neither of their teammates would falter.

"Aah~…" the Lumiose girl sang fluently, just a little higher than the others, making smiles appear on the faces of her teammates, as they seemed to have the upper. "Ah-ACK!" she suddenly coughed, falling down to her knees.

"D-Dennay!" Dedenne stuttered in shock, rushing over to her with the other two girls, as Sweetie Belle kept going despite the loss of her teammate.

"Are y'all okay?" Apple Bloom asked worriedly as she and Scootaloo picked Bonnie up by her arms.

"I'll be fine…" she responded, "Do your best, Sweetie Belle!" she cheered.

"Day Dennay!" the Antenna Pokémon mimicked, jumping up and down.

"Aah~," the light purple haired girl continued to sing, now having to try and outshine two opponents all by herself.

"Aah, ah, ah~!" Silver Spoon sang, rapidly changing pitch, but doing it quite smoothly. Drops of sweat began rolling down Sweetie Belle's forehead as she was falling behind. "Ah~-AGH!" she coughed, having to halt her singing immediately to clear her throat and try again while she stepped back. Unfortunately, Applejack picked up on the slip immediately, crossing her arms as she raised her right eyebrow at the grey skinned girl, making sure she didn't try to force her way back into the match.

"Aah~!" Sweetie Belle and Diamond Tiara sang, reaching the highest note they could possibly attain with their voices. Everyone watched in wonder as the two had reached the peak of the performance.

"Ah-NO!" the pink skinned girl coughed as she couldn't stay on the note long enough.

"Ah, ah, aah~," the light purple haired girl sang smoothly, making her friends smile as she was the last one standing, "Ah, ah, aah~…" she finished, opening her eyes with a big grin on her face.

"Looks we got ourselves a winner," the cowgirl noted, "Job well done, Crusaders!" she complimented, clapping her hands in applause.

"We did it!" the group of four exclaimed together, embracing each other in a huge hug.

"Dennay!" Dedenne squeaked in delight, atop Bonnie's head once again.

"No, no, NO!" Diamond Tiara screamed, stomping her right foot on the ground, "You shouldn't have won all of those events!" she yelled, getting the Crusaders', and Applejack's attentions, "In fact, you couldn't have won if it wasn't for that Bonnie girl!" she pointed out angrily.

"Yeah!" Silver Spoon agreed, "If it wasn't for _her_ , you'd still be at rock bottom!" she yelled. Upon hearing this, the Crusaders frowned, much to the surprise of Bonnie.

"She's right…" Sweetie Belle said, "None of us even knew what to do before you came along, Bonnie," she told her, making her frown out of sympathy for her friend.

"As mean as they are, they make a good point," Scootaloo admitted, "We didn't even show off our actual talents because we thought our talents came from our friends… or something," she explained.

"But thanks to you, we found out what we can really do," Apple Bloom said, "And ah think ah speak fer all of us," she added, smiling alongside her friends. The Lumiose girl smiled as well, glad to have helped out her new friends.

"Oh, that's very touching…" Diamond Tiara said in a sarcastic tone, "But you're still nothing without her around!" she declared.

"No, they're not!" Bonnie yelled, turning around and marching right up to the pink skinned girl, "They can be just as talented with or without me around!" she shouted, "And there's no way they're ever gonna let you bring them down!" she proclaimed angrily, making the Crusaders all smile, including Applejack as their friend had come to their aid.

"Uh, whatever," Diamond Tiara said with a huff, walking off with Silver Spoon, "Bye bye, blanks!" she said with a wave, cackling maniacally with her friend as they left.

"Dennay…" Dedenne growled as his cheeks sparked angrily.

"Don't worry about it, Dedenne," his partner reassured as she picked him up from the ground, "Those two won't be bugging us again any time soon," she noted.

"Darn tootin'!" Apple Bloom agreed, "We're never gonna let those bullies bring us down ever again!" she exclaimed. The other Crusaders laughed with her in agreement, as Bonnie giggled while Applejack approached.

"Gotta say," she began, getting the Lumiose girl's attention, "somebody's got a mighty fine little sister," she told her, squatting down as she put her right hand on her shoulder. She grinned widely in delight, flattered by the compliment.

"Bonnie!" Scootaloo cried out, getting her attention, "You ready to start making a music video?" she asked, with the other two Crusaders having big smiles on their faces.

"Yessiree!" she quickly replied, running over to her friends with Dedenne in her hands. The cowgirl stood up, putting her hands at her hips as she saw her younger sister and her friends all working together. Back inside the school, Ash and Fluttershy were walking through the hallways, as the shy girl had Buneary in her hands, while Goomy had been returned to his Poké Ball upon his first victory in battle. The pink haired girl then gave her Pokémon a piece of food, which she immediately ate, chewing it up carefully.

"Bun~!" she said in delight as it was delicious, making her trainer giggle.

"Looks like things are set with you two," Ash noted.

"I think so," Fluttershy agreed, "I never thought a battle would help straighten things out between me and Buneary," she admitted, rubbing the Rabbit Pokémon's curled up, left ear.

"Yeah," her friend said, "A friend of mine has a Buneary on her team, and she's strong," he mentioned.

"Really?" the shy girl asked.

"Mm-hmm," Ash responded with a nod, "I'm sure your Buneary's gonna get a whole lot stronger for next time," he said.

"Neary, bun!" the Rabbit Pokémon agreed, pumping her right fist into the air.

"Pika pika!" Pikachu said, excited for the Normal type. Suddenly, his ears perked up as he sensed something. "Pi?" he questioned, looking out ahead of the group to see that they were about to cross paths with Serena, "Pika, pika," he pointed out, getting his trainer's attention, along with the others.

"What is it, buddy?" Ash asked, then looked to see his traveling companion straight ahead, "Serena!" he called out, getting her attention as her head jerked up and turned to face them.

"A-Ash…" she stuttered in surprise as he and Fluttershy ran over.

"How are you doing?" her crush asked.

"Uh… fine," she replied, looking off to the side, "Rarity made me a new dress for the Showcases…" she mentioned.

"That's wonderful!" the shy girl said.

"Yeah, it is…" the rookie performer agreed, "She and I also saw your battle outside," she added.

"You did?" Ash questioned, somewhat surprised, "Then I guess you saw how Goomy won his first battle!" he mentioned, very excited.

"O-Of course I did!" Serena stammered, now nervous to be around the two people who she thought were a couple.

"Everything okay?" Fluttershy asked, seeing her behavior.

"I'm fine," the rookie performer reassured, "I was just going to work on some of my performances," she told them.

"That's a great idea!" her crush noted, "Fluttershy," he began, getting the shy girl's attention, "maybe now that you've got Buneary under control, you can work on performances together!" he suggested.

"Oh yeah!" she realized, "What do you think, Buneary?" she asked.

"Bun!" her Pokémon responded happily with a nod.

"Serena, would you wanna-"

"Actually," the rookie performer interrupted, "I was… thinking of practicing on my own for a while…" she admitted to her friends, "But… I'll see you later!" she said, jogging off.

"Uh, Serena!" Ash called out, making her stop for a moment, "Where's Rarity?" he asked.

"Uh, she's… working on another one of her dresses right now…" she replied, "I'm sure you'll meet up with her!" she said, going back to jogging without another word.

"Serena…" her crush said, concerned.

"I wonder what could've happened…" Fluttershy added.

"Pika pi," Pika said, somewhat puzzled as well. Just as they walked off, the Dazzlings peeked out from a row of lockers, watching the rookie Pokémon performer head off without the others.

"And here we go…" Adagio said as their chance to snag her was upon them. Back inside the science lab, a white sheet was covering Clemont's invention as he was about unveil it in its completed form to Pinkie Pie.

"And with my work done," the inventor began, grasping the sheet with both hands, "the future is now, thanks to science!" he exclaimed, pulling the sheet off of the finished invention.

"Ooh, shiny!" his friend noted in awe as she saw the glimmer off of its metallic surface.

"This is my Magnezone Mega Firework Launcher!" the gym leader pointed out, with the device looking almost exactly like the Magnet Area Pokémon, "In simple retrospect, I insert the fireworks into the yellow rod up here," he explained, showing it to the puffy haired girl as she nodded, "Once inside, they separate into four different tubes," he continued, with tubes upon the back of the invention that lead to the launchers that looked like magnets, "and then, they get loaded up into the magnet-like launchers, where they're ignited and set for a spectacle!" he exclaimed, just as a firework pointed out of each end of each launcher.

"Awesome!" Pinkie cheered.

"And there's more!" her friend pointed out, pressing the red spot at the center of the device. It suddenly opened, and the tip of a much larger firework pointed out, much to the surprise of the puffy haired girl. "When all the smaller fireworks have been launched," Clemont began, "the system will automatically fire the last one for a big finale!" he said excitedly.

"Wowee!" his friend exclaimed, jumping up excitedly, but then raised an eyebrow as she realized something, "How do you know if it works though?" she asked.

"Uh… well…" the inventor tried to say, but just scratched the back of his head sheepishly as he couldn't come up with an explanation.

"Maybe you should do one of those test runs just to make sure it does work!" Pinkie suggested.

"Well, that would mean using up some of my fireworks," Clemont pointed out, "And that includes the one for the finale," he added.

"Don't worry~!" his assistant reassured, "Your pal, Pinkie Pie'll set you up with some more for tonight!" she told him in the third person.

"Okay then," he agreed, making the puffy haired girl smile as she dashed over to the invention, "Now, where can find a dolly or cart to move it?" he asked himself, looking around while unbeknownst to him, Pinkie was about to press the start button for the launcher. He turned his head back to see her right index finger about to touch it. "No, wait!" he yelled, but was too late as she pushed down on the button.

"Hm?" she said, having heard him just as she had hit the button. Suddenly, one of the fireworks blasted off, much to her surprise as she yelped, seeing it take a quick U-turn, heading right for her.

"Pinkie!" Clemont exclaimed, running over and tackling her to the ground before the firework could hit her. It then exploded into blue sparks, crackling all the while. The other three small fireworks launched, flying all over the science lab as smoke began to fill the air.

"Hey, it works!" the puffy haired girl noted with a grin.

"Yeah… it does…" the inventor agreed, very concerned. The fireworks then exploded in colors of red, green, and orange, sparkling with sounds of crackles. "Phew…" the gym leader sighed in relief, thinking the chaos was over.

"What about the big one?" Pinkie asked, somewhat confused as Clemont's head perked up in realization, gritting his teeth. He looked up to see the large firework blast right out of the center of the invention, flying around wildly as he kept on cringing in fear.

"We need to get out of here!" he exclaimed, taking his assistant's right hand with his left, getting up and running towards the door. The firework then went up to the room's roof, exploding in a brilliant golden light, echoing throughout the school as it reverberated.

"Hm?" Serena said upon hearing the noise, turning to see nothing behind her, as the Dazzlings hid themselves behind another row of lockers.

"Pika?!" Pikachu exclaimed as he heard the loud boom.

"What was that?" Ash asked, having heard the thunderous sound as well. Fluttershy blinked in surprise, shrugging as she had no idea. Back in the lab, smoke filled the room, making Clemont and Pinkie cough as they were at the door. As the substance enveloped the room, the smoke detectors began to blink wildly, and all of a sudden, the sprinklers in the room went off, raining down upon the two.

"Ah!" Clemont yelped, trying to cover his head from the drops of water with his arms.

"Oopsie…" Pinkie said shamefully, with her puffy hair becoming wet. She and the inventor left the lab, still coughing a little from the smoke.

"What happened?" a student asked as she walked over.

"Some kinda incident in the science lab?" another questioned as he approached.

"Maybe it was just a bad match…" another suggested while more and more students gathered around the two.

"Oh no…" Clemont groaned in agony.

"Uh, don't worry Clemont…" Pinkie reassured as she was wringing the water out of her hair like a towel, "Things are gonna be just-" The sudden sound of the fire alarms interrupted her sentence as lights began flashing in some parts of the hallways.

"All right, single file!" a teacher told her students as they began to walk away from the lab.

"Well…" the puffy haired girl began, getting the inventor's attention, "it could be-" She stopped her sentence, widening her eyes as she saw something, "…worse…" she yelped quietly as the gym leader turned to see Vice Principal Luna standing before him and his assistant with a stern look on her face.

"I assume _this_ was your doing, right?" she asked, pointing out the smoked up laboratory.

"Uh, heh, heh…" Pinkie laughed nervously, "It was an accident, Vice Principal Luna," she said, "We were just… making a firework launcher for the big show tonight…" she told her, "Heh… heh…" she chuckled, but didn't get a smile out of the school official as she crossed her arms.

"We're really sorry!" Clemont apologized, bowing.

"Yeah!" his assistant agreed, "Super, super, super sorry!" she cried out, bowing as well.

"Huh…" the vice principal sighed, putting her right hand up to her forehead in agony.

"What's going on?" Serena asked from the hallways as she heard the alarms going off, seeing students moving along past her. She was about to join up with them, when all of a sudden, a hand grabbed her right wrist from behind. She yelped, turning to see that Adagio had grasped her, with her companions standing by.

"Come with us!" she beckoned, running off with her as Sonata and Aria followed.

"O-Okay!" the rookie performer agreed as she held onto her hat with her left hand, "But… where are we going?" she asked.

"We need to meet up at the gym before we get outside!" the former siren explained as they turned a corner, right past Flash Sentry, who moved out of their way. He looked on to see them heading in a different direction with a girl he never saw before.

"Huh…" he said, a little confused as he began to walk off. Meanwhile, all the students were gathering outside at the school's entrance, including the Crusaders, Bonnie, and Applejack.

"What's going on 'round here?" the cowgirl asked as she and the little girls were in the thick of the crowd.

"Applejack!" a voice cried out, getting her attention as she saw Ash and Fluttershy making their way through the scrum of people, getting over to them.

"Hey Ash!" Bonnie greeted as he and the shy girl came up to them.

"Hey Bonnie," the Pokémon trainer greeted back with a smile, "Do you know what's happening?" he asked.

"No idea," his traveling companion responded.

"We all started to hear the fire alarms go off from inside," Scootaloo explained.

"And before we knew it, everybody started walkin' out here!" Apple Bloom added with her arms outstretched.

"What could've happened?" Fluttershy asked, taking out Buneary's Poké Ball, and returning her to it in a red beam of light.

"There was a lab accident?" a student asked from afar, catching the attentions of the others upon hearing the news.

"Yeah," another student replied, having pigment blue and pink hair, "I heard they were making something for the fireworks display tonight," she added.

"Uh oh…" the shy girl realized as she and Ash cringed, along with Bonnie at the mention of an accident.

"Pika, pika pi pika!" Pikachu cried out, pointing towards the entrance. The group looked out to see Pinkie Pie and Clemont making their way towards the crowd, hanging their heads in shame.

"What do y'all think happened?" Applejack asked.

"Guess we'll find out," the Pokémon trainer responded, "Clemont! Pinkie!" he called out, getting their attentions as they both saw the group of their friends.

"Hey you guys!" the puffy haired girl greeted, dashing over to them as the inventor trudged after her.

"Big bro, what happened in the lab?" Bonnie asked as he and Pinkie came up to them, "Don't tell me your invention blew up…" she said, having a blank expression on her face.

"Uh, no actually," her brother responded, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"The invention works great~!" his assistant exclaimed in delight.

"It does?" the Lumiose girl questioned in surprise.

"That's awesome Clemont!" Ash complimented.

"Wait a second," Fluttershy chimed in, "What do mean by… 'works great'?" she asked nervously.

"It worked to perfection!" Pinkie replied, "And best of all, no explosions!" she added with a big smile.

"And ah'm guessin' y'all turned it on inside the lab, right?" Applejack questioned.

"Yep!" the puffy haired girl responded, then realized her mistake, "Oh, um, oops…" she said in an apologetic tone.

"Guh…" the cowgirl groaned, placing her right hand over her face in agony.

"Say, where are Rarity and Serena?" Clemont asked, chiming in.

"Yeah…" Ash realized, "Where are those two?" he asked, looking around.

"Here!" a voice exclaimed, getting all of their attentions, turning their heads to see the fashionista running towards them, "I'm right here!" she cried out before coming to a screeching halt before the group, panting heavily as she placed her hands on her knees out of fatigue.

"You okay, Rarity?" her young sister asked, noticing her dripping in sweat.

"I'm… a little fatigued…" she admitted in between breaths, "…but I'm perfectly… fine," she stated, making everyone glance at each other in confusion.

"Where's Serena?" Applejack asked.

"That's what I'd like to know," Rarity responded, "She left the classroom we were in after we saw your battle," she mentioned, specifically to Ash and Fluttershy.

"We ran into her, and she said you were busy working on another dress…" the shy girl told her friend.

"The only thing I was busy with at the time was looking for her!" she replied, "Do you think she's all right?" she asked.

"She has to be out here somewhere," Ash noted in response, "Let's look around to see if we can find her," he recommended, with the whole group splitting up in agreement to look for their friend. Meanwhile at the top steps to the school entrance, Celestia and Luna stood by, both with clipboards in their hands.

"I just called the fire department," the vice principal began to her sister, "and they said they're taking care of a situation downtown," she told her, "They're going to be a while," she said.

"Huh…" the principal sighed, "Well, at any rate," she began, "make sure every student and every guest is out here and safe," she told her, getting a nod in reply from her sister as she walked down the steps to the chatty students. Back inside the school, the Dazzlings were inside the gymnasium with Serena while the alarms were still blaring.

"Those alarms sure are loud…" the rookie performer admitted while she cringed.

"I know, right?" Adagio agreed, leaning up against the folded stands on the wall, "Adagio Dazzle by the way," she introduced.

"Uh, Serena," the Pokémon performer introduced, going over and shaking hands with the former siren.

"And those two are my… friends," she pointed out, "Aria and Sonata," she introduced for them.

"Hi!" the ponytailed girl greeted with an enthusiastic wave, making her companion smack herself in the face in agony.

"So, Serena," Adagio began, starting a new conversation, "you're not from around here, are you?" she guessed.

"Uh, yeah," the rookie performer replied, "I'm actually from another world if you can believe that," she told them with a smile.

"I do believe it," the siren leader said, much to her surprise, "We've met a few different people from different worlds," she told her.

"Oh… yeah," Serena realized, "Guess I sorta forgot…" she admitted, looking away.

"What's up with you?" Aria asked, chiming in with her arms crossed.

"Maybe it's got something to do with her boyfriend?" Sonata suggested in question as she approached.

"N-N-No!" the rookie performer stuttered in alarm, "I don't have a boyfriend!" she yelled, "I mean… I really like someone," she admitted, "but he's with someone else…" she noted, looking away, much to the surprise of the Dazzlings.

"I knew it!" the ponytailed girl suddenly exclaimed, causing Aria to immediately cover her mouth with her own right hand.

"Huh?" Serena said, having heard the noise.

"Oh, that was nothing," Adagio reassured, "And I'm _really_ sorry about your relationship," she added, "It must be so hard…" she said out of thought.

"Yeah…" the rookie performer agreed, "Where's… everyone else?" she then asked, noting how no else had arrived at the gym.

"Our teacher told us to wait here until everyone showed up before we'd go outside," Aria explained, "They're probably just taking the scenic route," she suggested.

"Or they're outside already because they didn't want to meet up at the gym," Sonata pointed out, "That'd be really, really stupid…" she noted.

"Indeed," Adagio agreed, "Not following rules here is as bad as anything else," she added.

"Right…" Serena said, still thinking about what she had heard earlier.

"Serena!" Ash cried out from outside, still trying to find her.

"Pika pi!" Pikachu yelled, hoping she would respond. Meanwhile, Apple Bloom and Bonnie each got onto their respective sibling's shoulders, getting a better view of the crowd.

"Serena, we're over here!" the Lumiose girl exclaimed.

"Come on over!" the country beckoned from her big sister's shoulders, but no one in the crowd batted an eye, making the group frown in worry.

"Serena, darling!" Rarity cried out.

"Serena!" Fluttershy yelled quietly, not getting a single response, as did the others.

"Day Dennay!" Dedenne squeaked loudly from atop Bonnie's head, hoping he could find the rookie performer as well.

"Oh…" the shy girl sighed, "There's still no sign of her…" she noted, "Rarity, why'd she leave the room in the first place?" she asked, walking up to her.

"I haven't the foggiest idea…" the fashionista responded, "All we did was make the new dress and watch your battle," she told her, "During which, I did mention a few things to her…" she admitted, placing her right hand upon her chin to ponder as her friend's eyes widened.

"What were those things… you mentioned?" she asked, and then suddenly realized something, gasping in shock, "Rarity, please say you didn't tell her that Ash went on a date with me!" she pleaded, grasping her by the arms, much to her surprise, "Did you?!" she asked, very worried.

"Um… yes?" the fashion designer replied nervously making the shy girl's eyes widen again.

"Oh, no, no, no!" she whispered in shock, tapping her foot anxiously as she looked over to see Ash at a considerable distance from them, still hollering for Serena. The pink haired girl then pushed her friend a couple of steps away, much to her surprise.

"Fluttershy, what are you-?!"

"It wasn't actually a date!" the shy girl exclaimed in a whisper to her as they stopped.

"Beg pardon?" Rarity questioned.

"Ash was just helping me out at the animal rescue center for a few hours that time!" her friend explained in reply, "He only made it sound like a date so he could impress his teammates…" she added.

"Oh…" the fashionista said upon hearing the revelation, "Er, does that mean Serena-?"

"Yeah, she likes Ash," Fluttershy interrupted, blushing out of embarrassment for doing so as Rarity's mouth gaped wide open.

"Serena!" the Pokémon trainer cried out once again, but got no response.

"Pika pika…" Pikachu sighed worriedly, letting his ears flop down.

"Don't worry buddy," his trainer reassured, "We'll find her," he promised.

"Hey!" a voice yelled, getting his and his Pokémon's attentions as they turned to see Flash Sentry running towards them.

"Flash?" Ash questioned as the tall, blue haired teen stopped before them, "What's up?" he asked.

"This… Serena you're looking for…" he began, "… did she have short, light brown hair," he continued, "wore a red dress, and a red hat?" he finished.

"Yeah!" the Pokémon trainer responded, "You've seen her?" he questioned.

"Mm-hmm," Flash replied with a nod, "I saw her heading towards the gym with the Dazzlings!" he told him, pointing back towards the school.

"What?!" he exclaimed in shock, getting the attentions of his friends from afar as they came over.

"Find somethin' out, Ash?" Applejack asked as she came over, letting her sister down from her shoulders, just as Clemont did the same with his before heading towards them.

"Flash just told me that Serena's with the Dazzlings!" he replied, causing the cowgirl's eyes to widen in fright.

"The Dazzlings?!" she exclaimed in shock.

"Serena's with them?!" Pinkie question out of complete disbelief, having come out of nowhere. Clemont and Bonnie glanced at each other, puzzled by the situation.

"Who… are the Dazzlings?" the scientist asked out of instant confusion.

"A group of girls who used to be from Equestria," Ash responded, just as Fluttershy and Rarity walked over, having heard everything with worried looks in their eyes.

"They had the power to make everyone at CHS start fightin' each other, and went through the trouble of turnin' our musical showcase into the "Battle of the Bands"," Applejack explained.

"Whoa…" the Lumiose girl said in disbelief, somewhat scared.

"They're powerless now, thanks to us, Ben Tennyson, and his friends," Rarity noted, "but I didn't know they were still around," she admitted, crossing her arms.

"I didn't know either…" Pinkie added.

"Whatever the case," the cowgirl began as Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo trotted over, "Serena's with 'em," she said, "So we need to find a way to get back inside and get 'er outta their nasty clutches," she explained.

"How?" Clemont asked, "Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna are at the doors," he noted, "so I don't see how we can get back in…" he admitted, scratching the top of his head.

"We'll need a distraction…" Fluttershy suggested, "Something that'll keep them busy for a few minutes while we sneak inside," she added.

"Any ideas?" Flash asked, chiming in. Everyone began to ponder something, thinking of what to do. Suddenly, Apple Bloom snapped her fingers as she thought of something.

"Ah got it!" she exclaimed, "Me, Bonnie, and the Crusaders'll rustle up a little cheer to keep 'em busy while y'all go ahead and save Serena!" she explained.

"A cheer?" Flash questioned.

"Like a way to show that we ain't afraid of no fire!" the country girl replied.

"Fair enough," the teen agreed with a chuckle, "I'll get their attentions, and you keep 'em!" he told the group, running back off into the crowd.

"All right, Crusaders!" Scootaloo called out, putting her right hand out, with Sweetie Belle's and Apple Bloom's to follow on top of it. They all looked out at Bonnie, who smiled before putting her hand on top of the others.

"Dennay!" Dedenne squeaked, running onto her trainer's arm, getting in the middle of the hands.

"Let's get this done!" the cerise haired girl exclaimed before they all threw their hands up in the air, sending the Antenna Pokémon right onto his partner's head, making her giggle delightedly.

"Ah'm proud of you, Apple Bloom," Applejack said to her sister, surprising her for a moment, but made her smile brightly.

"Good luck!" Rarity cried out as her sister ran off with her friends to initiate the distraction.

"All right, let's move!" Ash advised, getting nods in reply from Clemont and the girls. They then followed him as he began to sneak through the crowd, while Bonnie and the others were making their way towards the entrance in a straight path. Flash was already there, waiting on them as they approached. The four young girls then came out of crowd, into his view as he winked at them to initiate the distraction.

"Hey, everyone!" the teen cried out, "Some girls are showing off that Canterlot High spirit!" he yelled, pointing out the four girls as everyone, Celestia and Luna included, looked over to see them.

"Sure hope this works…" Sweetie Belle whispered as she stood at the left of Scootaloo, while Apple Bloom was on her right, and Bonnie was situated behind her. The cerise haired girl then squatted down with the others as the Lumiose girl stepped up onto her hands.

"Ergh!" she grunted, trying to push her up carefully so that she wouldn't lose her balance. The redheaded country girl helped hold up her right foot from the right side, while the light purple haired girl did the exact same with the left foot from the left side. The girl on top then raised her arms into the air.

"Oh my…" Celestia said in awe, amazed by the young girls' talents.

"Pff…" Diamond Tiara scoffed, watching from afar with Silver Spoon.

"Two, four, six, eight!" the Crusaders began cheering together, just as the others were sneaking back into the school, "Who do we appreciate?!" they shrieked, "Wondercolts! Wondercolts!" they chanted, "Go… WONDERCOLTS!" they cheered loudly, while Clemont was the last one to make it inside, shutting the door as if nothing had happened. Meanwhile, the crowd applauded the performance, whistling and cheering in excitement.

"How adorable!" Luna complimented, clapping with her sister.

"It worked!" Sweetie Belle whispered to her friends, "Now we just gotta keep them occupied long enough for our friends to stop the Dazzlings," she noted.

"Don't worry," Scootaloo reassured, "We got it covered," she stated confidently.

"Wh-Whoa!" Bonnie yelped as she was beginning to lose her balance.

"Oops!" the cerise haired girl realized, taking a tighter hold of her friend's feet, "Sorry Bonnie…" she apologized in a whisper. Inside the school, the rescue team of six raced through the halls, searching for their friend.

"Where'd Flash say they were takin' her again?" Applejack asked as they kept on running.

"To the gym!" Ash replied, hurriedly rushing through the hallways, "I'm not gonna let anything happen to her!" he exclaimed, with an angered look in his eyes.

"Neither are we!" Rarity agreed as she followed with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie close behind. However, Clemont jogged slowly behind them, failing to keep up. Suddenly though, the Pokémon trainer's eyes widened in realization as he came to a screeching halt.

"Pika pika?" his Pokémon asked, perplexed as to why his trainer would suddenly stop in the middle of the hall.

"What's the matter, Ash?" Applejack asked, walking over to him.

"I just thought..." he began, "what do the Dazzlings want with Serena?" he asked. The cowgirl blinked in surprise before scratching her head with her left hand.

"Good question…" she admitted, just as the others approached.

"Maybe the sirens wanna know where she got her clothes from?" Pinkie suggested, making Rarity groan in agony.

"Pinkie Pie, be serious!" she yelled.

"I _was_!" the puffy haired girl claimed, "I'd think about getting myself a dress like that someday…" she admitted, pondering the thought of it while Rarity smacked herself in the face.

"It can't just be a coincidence that she ended up going with them…" Ash noted.

"Maybe it has to do with the fact you were their enemy once…" Fluttershy suggested.

"No…" her friend replied, "It seems too good to be true…" he admitted, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Huh… huh…" Clemont panted, placing his hands on his knees out of fatigue as he trudged up to them, "What if what they want has something to do with Equestria?" he suggested, "You _did_ say they were from there, right?" he questioned.

"Yeah, they are…" Ash responded, wondering for a moment before gasping in realization.

"Pika pi?" his Pokémon asked, somewhat concerned. His trainer then unzipped his backpack slightly, allowing him to stick his right hand in it. After a few seconds of rummaging, he pulled out his MPG, eyeing it closely.

"The sirens wanna go back to Equestria…" he told the group, "Maybe they think they'll be able to get their powers back…" he added out of thought.

"They can't get back with yer MPG though," Applejack noted, "Equestria's an alternate dimension, and yer doohickey only lets ya travel to different universes or whatever," she explained.

"And the Dazzlings don't know about the portal that's right outside the entrance!" Pinkie added.

"Yeah, they don't…" Ash realized, pulling a grin as he thought of something clever, "I've got an idea," he said, snapping his fingers as the rest of the group all raised their eyebrows in surprise, "Huddle up guys," he beckoned, "Here's what we're gonna do…" he began as they all gathered around, close together. Back in the gym, Serena and the Dazzlings were sitting upon the school stage, still waiting for the others as the alarms kept on sounding off.

"Ugh, can somebody _PLEASE_ turn those stupid things off?!" Aria screamed.

"Relax, Aria," Adagio advised, "They'll stop once everything's under control," she explained, placing a hand upon her shoulder. The pigtailed girl just scoffed, turning away as she crossed her arms.

"Those kids are sure taking their sweet time on the way here…" Sonata noted, "Did they… get lost?" she asked innocently.

"Well, that'd be really silly," her leader replied, "Wouldn't you agree, Serena?" she asked the rookie performer.

"Uh, yeah, it'd be silly…" she replied, still depressed as to what she remembered hearing before.

"Oh, I understand how heartbroken you must be," Adagio noted, "When me and my friends lost the "Battle of the Bands" competition a while back, we were pushed aside by everyone!" she explained dramatically.

"Really?" Serena questioned, somewhat surprised as she blinked.

"Oh yes," the puffy haired girl responded, "Up against the Rainbooms, my friends and I-" A sudden slam of the gym doors interrupted her sentence, as she and the others looked out to see Ash and Fluttershy at the entrance, with Pikachu jumping off of his trainer's shoulder, having his cheeks spark angrily.

"About time," Aria grunted as she stepped down from the stage with Adagio.

"Ash…" the rookie performer said in surprise, "…and… Fluttershy," she noted, just as she came down from the stage, with Sonata coming down behind her, "Where's everyone else?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" the shy girl asked, worriedly standing by her friend, "Everyone's already outside…" she told her.

"Oh, yes," Adagio chimed in, "It was _so_ to fool her into following us," she noted.

"Fool me?" Serena questioned, raising an eyebrow. The puffy haired girl then snapped her fingers, and all of a sudden, Aria and Sonata grabbed the rookie performer by the arms, holding her down. "H-Hey!" she yelped, "What's the big idea?!" she screamed.

"Don't hurt her!" Ash shouted with his fists clenched.

"Oh, we won't," Adagio reassured with her hands at her hips, looking back at the now frightened girl, "That is, as long as we get what we want," she told them.

"Pika…" Pikachu growled as his trainer and Fluttershy glanced at each other fro a moment.

"And what do you want?" Ash asked.

"Something simple really," the puffy haired girl replied as she rubbed her fingers, "We want to return to Equestria," she declared, "And we're planning on using your… eh… device to do so," she added.

"What?!" Serena exclaimed in shock, but then suddenly cringed as Sonata and Aria tightened their grips on her arms.

"Wait, stop!" the Pokémon trainer cried out, "I'll give it to you!" he declared, "Just let her go!" he pleaded. Adagio smirked, believing she had won as her enemy pulled out the MPG from his pocket.

"Ash, what are you doing?" Fluttershy asked, "If you give them your MPG, you won't be able to go back home…" she noted worriedly.

"I don't care," he stated in reply, "As long as Serena's safe, I can deal with it," he said, walking over to the former siren.

"Pika…" Pikachu said worriedly, crawling up onto the shy girl's right shoulder. His trainer stopped right before the puffy haired girl, handing the device off to her. She grinned evilly, turning her attention back to her companions.

"Let her go," she told them, "We have what we want," she stated. The two former sirens let Serena out of their clutches, allowing her run over to Ash while they went over to their leader.

"Thanks for saving me, Ash," the rookie performer said in gratitude, "But… they've got your MPG now…" she noted, "How are we gonna get home?" she asked. The Pokémon trainer placed his left hand on her shoulder, smiling at her reassuringly.

"Don't worry," he said, "Right now, all that matters is that you're safe," he told her, making her blush in surprise, but also made her smile.

"Finally…" Adagio stated as she held the MPG in her right hand while Aria and Sonata gathered around her, "With this device, we can regain our true power!" she declared, tapping its center button. However, the only thing that occurred was a blinking green light.

" _ **FINGERPRINT SCAN UNRECOGNIZED,**_ " a robotic voice said from the device, surprising the three former sirens, " _ **INITIATING BIO SCAN,**_ " it stated, with the green light suddenly scanning the puffy haired girl up and down.

"Get ready to run…" Ash whispered to Serena, causing her to raise an eyebrow.

"Run?" she questioned, "Why?" she asked.

" _ **SCAN COMPLETE,**_ " the MPG declared, getting their attentions as the green light had ceased, " _ **DNA UNRECOGNIZED,**_ " it stated, " _ **COMMENCING MPG LOCK FUNCTION,**_ " it said, with the device suddenly closing up, becoming a solid white.

"What?" Adagio said in surprise, pulling at the device, trying to pry it open as she gritted her teeth, "I don't get it," she told her companions, "What happened?" she asked, still trying to open it up.

"It said that your DNA was… unrecognized," Aria noted, "Does that mean _you_ can't use it?" she questioned.

"Oh, I get it!" Sonata realized with her eyes widening, "The only one who can use that thingy is the same guy who had it in the first place!" she explained.

"Then, that means…" Adagio began to realize.

"Go!" Ash called out, running off with Fluttershy and Serena out of the gym.

"After him!" Adagio commanded, giving chase to the group of three with her companions following behind. They ran throughout the hallways, speeding along as they turned corners.

"Why didn't the MPG work for them?!" Serena asked as she looked back to see the former sirens still pursuing them.

"It's only coded to my DNA," the Pokémon trainer replied, "so I'm the only one who can use it," he said.

"Right now, we need to get to the cafeteria," Fluttershy told her friend.

"Why?" the rookie performer asked as they turned a corner.

"Trust me!" Ash yelled, "We've got a plan!" he exclaimed as they reached the cafeteria doors, barging in. Their pursuers saw them enter and followed, going into the one of the largest parts of the school.

"What?!" Adagio exclaimed after she pushed the doors aside, seeing what appeared to be a very smoke filled cafeteria.

"This must be what happened to set the fire alarms off…" Aria realized unknowingly as they all walked in, "But… it doesn't smell like smoke…" she noted, sniffing the air around her.

"How do you know what smoke smells like?" Sonata asked mockingly, making the pigtailed girl smack herself in the face, "Anyways, it feels kinda moist too…" she mentioned, sticking her hands in it.

"Moist?" the former purple siren questioned.

"It's not as thick as smoke either…" Adagio noted, seeing a small figure in the distance. Suddenly, she felt a drop of water make contact with her hand. "Hm?" she said, wondering what it could've been. Then suddenly, more drops of water began sprinkling down, hitting her and the other two, making them shriek as they were becoming wet. "AH!" the leader screamed, trying to cover her head with her arms. A vine then appeared out of the smoky area, wrapping around the MPG in her hands. It pulled it away, much to her surprise as she saw it disappear. "No!" she shouted, running after it with her companions following behind. They then all slipped on the floor, falling flat on their faces. Suddenly, the smoky area began to clear, just as the three former sirens were getting up on their rear ends, rubbing their heads in pain.

"Ugh…" Aria groaned, opening her eyes. She then widened them as she saw something. "Oh no…" she said, cringing in fright.

"Uh, what?" Sonata asked, opening her eyes as well to see what was lurking in the mist, "Uh, Adagio?" she said, getting her leader's attention as she looked up, gasping with a start. Before them, the group of Ash, Serena, Clemont, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie stood with their respective Pokémon: the Pokémon trainer's team of Hawlucha, Frogadier, Fletchinder, Goomy, and Pikachu, the rookie performer's team of Fennekin and Pancham, the scientist's team of Chespin, Bunnelby, and Luxio, the shy girl's team of Buneary, Vivillon, and Minun, the cowgirl's team of Skiddo, Rhydon, and Furfrou, the fashionista's team of Carbink and Glameow, and the party girl's team of Swirlix, Cherubi, and Vanillite. All the Pokémon growled angrily at the three former sirens, who all cringed worriedly as their plan had failed.

"That wasn't smoke…" Adagio began to realize, "It was mist!" she exclaimed.

"Yep!" Pinkie Pie replied, "Courtesy of my good ol' Vanillite here!" she added, with the Fresh Snow Pokémon floating right beside her.

"Nil Lite!" she said in glee. Meanwhile, the Spiny Nut Pokémon had the MPG in his clutches, as the vines from his neck handed the device off to Ash.

"Now, have y'all learned yer lesson?" Applejack asked the group.

"And what would that be?" Adagio asked as she stood up with Aria and Sonata.

"That you don't mess with any of our friends!" the Pokémon trainer shouted, "'Cause then you're messing with me!" he exclaimed.

"That's right!" Clemont agreed.

"Pika pika!" Pikachu exclaimed with a nod.

"Ho ho, what a riot," the former siren laughed, "But don't think for a second that this is over," she advised.

"Oh darling, I'm pretty sure it is," Rarity stated, much to her surprise, "Fluttershy?" she said, getting her attention.

"Don't have to tell me twice," she responded with a giggle, "Vivillon, could you use your Sleep Powder please?" she asked nicely.

"Eeon!" the Scale Pokémon replied, flying over the former sirens' heads, suddenly unleashing a cloud of green onto them.

"What's… Sleep… Pow-" Adagio couldn't finish her sentence as she fell asleep, falling down with her companions onto the floor, snoring loudly all the while.

"And that's a wrap!" Ash noted as he flipped his MPG up into the air, catching it as it came down.

"Can't believe the sirens were able to do somethin' like this," Applejack admitted, "especially without any power!" she added out of surprise.

"I think what's hard to believe is that Ash came up with this plan," Rarity mentioned.

"He did?" Serena asked, very surprised.

"You bet your sweet cupcakes he did!" Pinkie exclaimed, "He thought that if the Dazzlings didn't know what set off the fire alarms in the first place," she began, "then they'd think twice about running head on into smoke!" she explained with a smile.

"So he had the idea for Pinkie's Vanillite to use Mist to keep us covered until they found out," Clemont added.

"And Goomy's Rain Dance made it seem like the cafeteria sprinklers were going off," Fluttershy mentioned, petting the Soft Tissue Pokémon on the head.

"Goo!" he squeaked delightedly.

"All this…" Serena noted, "…just to save me?" she questioned.

"Of course!" Ash replied, "I'd do anything to help you out," he said with a big grin.

"Ash…" the rookie performer said with a small blush, as tears began to form in her eyes.

"Now we better get goin'," Applejack advised, "Somethin' tells me that mah sister and her friends aren't gonna hold out long," she mentioned.

"Right!" the Pokémon trainer replied, picking up Adagio by the left arm as he returned his Pokémon to their respective Poké Balls, while everyone else did the same with their Pokémon. Back outside, the Crusaders were still keeping the teachers occupied with their cheer, in the same position they were in earlier.

"W, O, N, D, E, R, C, O, L, T, S!" they chanted, "What does that spell?!" they asked loudly, hoping to receive a few responses from the crowd, but got none, "Wondercolts! Wondercolts!" they cheered, "Go… WONDERCOLTS!" they finished, panting heavily as almost no one applauded their performance, having seen enough already.

"Very adorable," Celestia complimented, being one of the few to still clap.

"It's still working…" Sweetie Belle noted, "If we can keep this up, Celestia and Luna won't know what's happening!" she whispered. Suddenly, the sound of sirens began blaring, much to the Crusaders' surprise.

"WAH!" they all yelped in shock, falling over in a heap. Dedenne landed on top of his partner's now dizzied head as her eyes began spinning.

"Ugh…" she groaned, sitting up with the other Crusaders.

"Are you all right?" Flash asked as he came over. The sirens kept on blaring as the students turned to see fire trucks pull up at the sidewalk, with the men inside getting out of their vehicle.

"Uh oh…" Apple Bloom said, cringing as she saw as well.

"Looks like they've arrived," Luna noted.

"Let's make sure they know what's happened," Celestia advised as they both walked towards them. Just as the Crusaders all stood up to watch them pass by, they heard the creak of the glass doors, turning around to see Ash carrying Adagio outside by her arm.

"Double uh oh!" Scootaloo exclaimed quietly. Clemont then came outside, struggling to drag Aria out by her arms.

"Ergh!" he grunted loudly, getting the attentions of Celestia, Luna, and the firefighters, along with all the other students.

"Triple uh oh…" Bonnie said as she noticed her brother drag the pigtailed girl outside, followed by Rarity and Fluttershy, who carried Sonata with her arms slung across their shoulders.

"What in the world is going on here?!" the school principal asked sternly as she marched up the steps to the group, with her sisters and the firefighters following her.

"Principal Celestia!" Applejack called out as she came outside with Pinkie Pie, "We can explain!" she claimed as they approached. The principal noticed how they had the three former sirens with them, all of whom were fast asleep. A while passed as the entire group, including the Crusaders, tried to explain the situation to the two school officials.

"You see, they tricked me into following them into the gym," Serena explained, gesturing towards the Dazzlings, "I didn't know they were using me for a trap…" she added.

"We're sorry for distracting you," Scootaloo chimed in for the Crusaders, "but they needed to save their friend!" she noted.

"Yeah!" the other three girls agreed.

"Dennay!" Dedenne squeaked from Bonnie's purse.

"Hmm…" Celestia said, pondering the outcome of the situation.

"So once you were inside…" Luna began to realize.

"We made up a plan to get Serena away and stop them afterwards," Clemont finished.

"They were using her to get to Ash!" Pinkie added.

"They were?" Celestia asked.

"Mm-hmm," Fluttershy responded with a nod, "They wanted to use Ash's MPG to try and travel to a different world," she explained, "but we stopped them," she added with a smile.

"Pika pika!" Pikachu exclaimed from his trainer's shoulder.

"Well, it sounds to me like this situation was unavoidable," Celestia admitted, somewhat surprising the vice principal.

"Celestia, why?" she asked.

"I guess it's because I can trust students and guests like these," she replied, "And we can't trust students who've tried to take control of us in the past…" she noted, directing her attention to the three sleeping sirens.

"I suppose summer school will be a fitting punishment for them," Luna suggested.

"Definitely," her sister agreed. The whole group smiled delightedly, knowing the conflict was over.

"Excuse me," one of the firefighters said, getting the school officials' attentions, "We found this in the room where the alarms went off," he pointed, with two firefighters struggling to hold up Clemont's heavy invention. He gasped in surprise upon seeing it again.

"My Magnezone Mega Firework Launcher!" he exclaimed, going over to it, seeing that it was still in perfect condition as the men set it down on the ground.

" _That's_ what you called it?" his sister asked, "Lame name again…" she muttered.

"Eh, that's not important…" he said, "What's important is that it can still work!" he noted.

"Yipee!" Pinkie exclaimed, "We're gonna have a super-duper, fun time tonight!" she shrieked excitedly. Everyone chuckled in agreement, but then, Fluttershy took notice of the depressed look on Serena's face, causing her to frown, as she knew that she'd have to explain things that evening.

"You're it!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed as she tapped Scootaloo with her right index finger.

"Hey!" the cerise haired girl yelled as her friend sped away, laughing, "Get back here!" she hollered, chasing after her. The evening sky shined with bright stars, and the sparks of fireworks flew across it, making it glimmer even more brilliantly by the school, as they were all behind it to witness the display.

"Ooh…" Apple Bloom said in awe as she was sitting upon her sister's shoulders, getting a better view of the sparkling sky, "This is amazin'!" she exclaimed in delight.

"Tag! You're it!" Scootaloo yelled from afar, as she had just touched Bonnie, who began chasing her excitedly. More fireworks began flying up into the sky, bursting into sparks of bright colors. Clemont's invention was working very efficiently, shooting out the fireworks one at a time from each of its four visible launchers. It then ran out of the small fireworks, making the scientist press the red eye of the machine, opening it up for the final firework to be launched.

"And… FIRE!" he exclaimed, pumping his fist as the big firework blasted out of the invention, soaring high up in the sky before exploding in a brilliant white light, "Yes!" he cheered in delight, "And my invention didn't explode this time!" he added happily.

"That was amazing, Clemont!" Pinkie complimented as she came up to him, "You know what'd make it even better?" she asked, "Confetti!" she exclaimed.

"Confetti?" the inventor questioned in confusion, then saw the puffy haired girl load his invention up from the yellow rod with the tiny papers, "Uh, wait!" he cried out.

"Let's keep this party goin'!" she exclaimed, pressing the button on the back of the machine to initiate the sequence, as the gym leader was too late to stop her. Suddenly, the invention to rumble wildly, with smoke and electricity emerging from it in violent sparks. "Uh oh…" the party girl realized. Without any warning, it exploded, catching the attentions of Rarity, Applejack, and Apple Bloom. As the smoke cleared, they saw Pinkie and Clemont covered in soot from head to toe.

"Oh boy…" the cowgirl groaned with a slight smile as the fashionista shook her head.

"Uh, heh, heh…" Pinkie laughed, still ready to have fun.

"Heh, heh!" Clemont chuckled, wiping his glasses free of soot. They roared in laughter as the others heard, smiling at their friends.

" _Thanks for letting me know what happened,_ " a green hologram of Sunset Shimmer said in gratitude upon the MPG, " _I'll make sure to tell Twilight to close the portal,_ " she told Ash, who had contacted her.

"Great!" he responded, "Hope to see ya soon, Sunset!" he said in farewell, waving to her.

"Pika pi!" Pikachu exclaimed with a wave as well.

" _Heh,_ " the red and yellow haired girl giggled, " _Hope to see you too_ ," she said before her hologram disappeared, ending the call. The Pokémon trainer smiled, but then felt someone tap him on the back, getting his attention as he turned to see Bonnie behind him, grinning widely.

"You're it!" she exclaimed, running off, giggling. Ash blinked in surprise, but then smiled, giving chase to his younger friend.

"Not for long!" he cried out, running as fast as he could to catch her. From afar, Fluttershy and Serena watched him, giggling all the while as they sat on the grass.

"If Ash was really trying," the rookie performer began, "he'd have her right now," she mentioned, still laughing.

"Yeah…" her shy friend agreed, still wondering how she would tell her the truth, "Um, Serena?" she said, getting her attention.

"What is it, Fluttershy?" she asked. A quick moment silence as the pink haired girl glanced away for a quick moment before looking back at her, rubbing her left shoulder nervously with her right hand.

"I… heard what Rarity told you…" she said to her, "…about me and Ash…" she added.

"Oh…" the rookie performer responded, "Uh, I… totally understand…" she claimed, "And I'm happy for you and-"

"We're not a couple," Fluttershy interrupted, much to her surprise.

"You're not?" she asked, puzzled.

"No," the shy girl replied, "Ash and I are just friends," she claimed, "The date thing that Rarity mentioned was just him and me working at the animal rescue center for a couple of hours," she explained.

"Oh," Serena realized, "But then… why'd she say it was a date?" she asked.

"Because Ash just wanted to impress his friends," Fluttershy responded, "He always wants to show them how much he's grown up," she mentioned, looking out with the rookie performer to see him having fun with Bonnie and the Crusaders.

"I think Ash has grown up…" she admitted, "… in his own, special way…" she added, scratching at her cheek.

"I think so too," her shy friend agreed, "And… to tell the truth…" she began, getting Serena's attention, "…I like him too," she admitted, blushing.

"You do?" her friend asked, surprised.

"Mm-hmm," she responded, "But I don't that to be the focus of our rivalry," she told her, "We're both Pokémon performers, trying to do our very best!" she mentioned, "And we can't let someone like him distract us from that," she added as they both looked to see him catch up with Bonnie, picking her up.

"Hey, put me down!" she yelled, still giggling as her traveling companion laughed.

"Yeah, you're right," Serena agreed holding her hand out to Fluttershy, "Let's promise both do our best in the next showcase!" she declared.

"And wish each other the best of luck," the shy girl added, grasping her hand and shaking it. The two smiled at each other, while more fireworks began exploding in the air, indicating a big finale as everyone watched. Later that night, the whole group gathered around the mirror statue, with Applejack tapping the glass.

"Well there ya have it," she noted, "All sealed off fer now," she pointed out, "Nice job Ash," she complimented.

"No problem," the Pokémon trainer replied.

"Huh…" Apple Bloom yawned, rubbing her eyes, "It's been so great to get to know y'all…" she told the group, very tiredly.

"Aah…" Bonnie yawned as well, "It's been great to know you too…" she said, starting to wobble a little as she had stayed up way late for the display.

"Once Sunset and Rainbow get back here, ah'm heading off to get mah third badge," Applejack told the group, "And ah'll be catchin' up with you real soon," she added to Ash.

"And I'll be waiting!" he responded excitedly, "We'll have a battle the next time we meet!" he promised.

"Count on it!" the cowgirl agreed.

"Have a safe journey, darling," Rarity said after she and Fluttershy embraced Serena, "We wish you the best," she told her.

"Same to you," the rookie performer responded, "I promise I'll put that dress on someday," she added, making the fashionista smile.

"Oh…" Pinkie moaned as she tightly hugged Clemont, "I'm gonna miss you so, so, so much!" she exclaimed, sobbing.

"W-We'll see each other again!" the scientist promised with a stammer, "So don't worry," he advised.

"Okay!" the party girl agreed, immediately changing her mood, much to the gym leader's surprise. Ash then pulled out his MPG, tapping its center, and then tapped a few icons on the holographic screen that appeared afterwards. A green portal then appeared right behind him and his traveling companions, swirling slowly.

"Bye everyone!" he yelled in farewell to the others as he and his friends were about to depart.

"Pika pi!" Pikachu cried out.

"Good luck with the music video, Crusaders!" Bonnie cried out before jumping into the swirling vortex.

"Day Dennay!" Dedenne squeaked.

"Bye!" Serena exclaimed as she stepped in.

"See you soon!" Clemont yelled, following his friend and sister. Ash then followed, as everyone kept waving. He tipped his cap politely before exiting into the swirling vortex, which disappeared moments later.

"Well now," Applejack began as their friends had left, "what do you say to gettin' some bed rest?" she suggested.

"Sure…" her sister agreed with a yawn and tired eyes, about to fall asleep. Meanwhile, Ash and the others had just arrived back in their own universe, right where they had left.

"I guess we'll set up camp here," Clemont suggested as he put his bag down.

"Sure," the Pokémon trainer responded, setting his backpack down.

"Ash?" Serena said, getting his attention.

"What is it, Serena?" he asked, turning to face her.

"Thanks for cheering me up with this," she said in gratitude, smiling, "It really did work," she added, making him smile.

"I'm glad," he said, "I wouldn't know what to do if I couldn't make you smile," he admitted, much to her surprise as she blushed, "But I know there's always a way to make anyone happy," he noted, grinning widely. The rookie performer smiled as well, knowing her crush truly cared for her greatly.

 **END**

 **Okay, let's start with this: I'm very sorry as to how late this is. And to make matters worse, I'm not gonna be able to write for about a week because I'm volunteering at a camp.**

 **Second, OH MY GOSH. FRIENDSHIP GAMES IS UPON US! Ahem. In case you didn't know, there's going to be a third Equestria Girls movie, and yes, I'm gonna a fanfic on it. From how it looks, I guess I'm gonna be putting the same crossover characters in that I used for "Rainbow Rocks". But that'll be for another time. A time after September 26** **th** **that is.**

 **Third, if you haven't seen my bio recently, (I've been updating frequently.) I just add a new OC that's Ash and Serena's daughter. Yes, they're my headcanon pairing. As much as I love Fluttershy, I think Serena and Ash are meant to be. Especially from the latest episode. (NO SPOILERS!)**

 **Fourth, continuing from "Change", the WWE wrestling scenario is back! Thanks to SpiritReaper42, this scenario story will be continued in the next fanfic, "Titan's Loyalty". So with that said and done, let's get right into it!**

 **SCENARIO:**

 **Team Wyatt: -having a discussion to come up with a way to eliminate Team Omni Force-**

 **Ben: What are they waiting for? Shouldn't they just send a guy in already?**

 **Sunset: Let's be patient. We don't know what they're planning**

 **John Cena: While we're here and not competing in this match, we should keep a close eye on the clones and J &J Security.**

 **Dean Ambrose: Yeah, with small mall cops like those too, they can cheat their way in, whether by fighting or not.**

 **Dolph Ziggler: It's a shame that Korra won't be competing in this match… but we hope she recovers real soon... at least to celebrate.**

 **-Luke Harper enters the ring, leaving Team Wyatt in their corner-**

 **Hinata: So… you're my opponent?**

 **Luke Harper: I've seen things from what Bray Wyatt taught me... He showed me the truth, power, and fear itself... I am not like that weak excuse of a brother named Erick Rowan...**

 **-Erick Rowan walks down to the ring and joins the others-**

 **Rex: Look who decided to drop by…**

 **Ryback: Just in time man… -pats Erick's back-**

 **Roman Reigns: I knew you would show up...**

 **Erick Rowan: -removes his mask a bit- Luke Harper was never my brother... -puts the mask back on-**

 **SpiritReaper42: Got the message right here...**

 **Chris Jericho: Alright let's rock and roll! -signals the timekeeper to ring the bell, which he does, to begin the match-**

 **Hinata: *** **steps back and lunges forward** *** Gentle Fist! *** **is about to palm Harper** *****

 **Luke Harper: -dodges from Hinata's attack and runs to the ropes and back to hit her in the head with a big boot-**

 **Hinata: GAH!**

 **Naruto: Hinata!**

 **Dolph Ziggler: Darn... not a good start for a match like this...**

 **John Cena: They got this. I just know it. Even if one or more is out, the last members got to keep up.**

 **SpiritReaper42: Yeah, but we still don't know what those clones and J &J Security might do...**

 **Rainbow: Not to mention Hinata's a little weaker than the rest of us… *** **gets glared at by Naruto** *** No offense…**

 **Naruto: Hinata's strong! I know she can do it!**

 **Luke Harper: -stomps Hinata a few times and then puts her at his team corner and tags Rollins-**

 **Hinata: Wha-?!**

 **Seth Rollins: -jumps in the ring and glares at Team Omni Force- Pathetic!**

 **Luke Harper: -holds Hinata for Rollins to make a move-**

 **Hinata: Ergh!**

 **Rex: Oh no…**

 **Seth Rollins: -kicks Hinata in the head with an enzuigiri and pins her-**

 **Chris Jericho: -starts counting but Hinata kicks out at 1-**

 **Hinata: Ha… hah…**

 **Naruto: Go Hinata!**

 **Dean Ambrose: Right on! Like Rollins think he could get away like that!**

 **Roman Reigns: Hinata's something alright. Sure she's only testing their strengths but she wouldn't allow that to affect the outcome.**

 **Seth Rollins: -grabs Hinata by her hair and drags her to the turnbuckle and kicks her in the gut multiple times-**

 **Rainbow: Hey, stop it!**

 **Joey Mercury: -tries to get in the ring, but was struggling as Chris put his attention on him-**

 **Ben: What was that-?**

 **Rainbow Wyatt: -grabs Rainbow's leg and yanks her to the floor-**

 **Rainbow: Hey! *** **activates Equestrian magic** *** Let go of me! *** **kicks Rainbow in the face** *****

 **Rex, Naruto, and Natsu Wyatt: -grab Rex, Naruto and Natsu and beat them up-**

 **Rex: Knock it off! *** **activates Battle Axes and slices Rex Wyatt to pieces** *****

 **Natsu: That gonna work? *** **trying to hold down Natsu Wyatt** *****

 **Ryback: Alright. They want a brawl? Well it's feeding time now! -runs to fight the clones-**

 **Erick Rowan: -joins Ryback-**

 **SpiritReaper42: They won't get away with distracting Chris like that! -helps the others when joined by John, Roman, Dean, and Dolph-**

 **Naruto: Ergh… Hinata! *** **uses Rasengan on Naruto Wyatt** *****

 **Jamie Noble: -hands Rollins the WWE World Heavyweight Title-**

 **Seth Rollins: -grabs the title and runs and hits Hinata's head with it-**

 **Naruto: Hinata!**

 **Joey Mercury: -takes the title when Rollins put it down before Chris could see what was going on-**

 **Seth Rollins: -runs to the ropes and then back to a bent-over Hinata only to hit the back of her head with a Curb Stomp and pins her-**

 **Ben: No! *** **transforms into Humungousaur** *****

 **Chris Jericho: -goes back to the match and counts but Hinata kicks out at 2-**

 **Naruto: *** **sighs in relief** *****

 **SpiritReaper42: Wow, that was close. If that was it, then one would outnumber Team Omni Force.**

 **John Cena: I knew this won't end like that. Despite what just happened, Chris didn't see what went down, so Rollins'll still compete without being disqualified.**

 **Natsu: That jerk!**

 **Dean Ambrose: Much to our disappointment but yeah it's true...**

 **Ryback: Oh but Rollins will get it big time, I know that's for sure...**

 **Natsu: You got it! Hinata, tag me in!**

 **Hinata: R-Right! *** **tags Natsu in, exiting the ring as he jumps in** *****

 **Natsu: Fire Dragon… *** **flames ignite on hands** *** Iron Fist! *** **strikes Rollins** *****

 **Seth Rollins: -falls back first to the turnbuckle where Team Omni Force is at-**

 **Natsu: Fire Dragon Sword Horn! *** **headbutts Rollins while cloaked in flames, sending him flying** *****

 **Seth Rollins: -falls to the top rope hanging upside down-**

 **Dolph Ziggler: Natsu sure has a way with dealing with punks from where he lives.**

 **Roman Reigns: Yeah, and he's a skilled fighter too. People can mess with him, but he can make 'em take it back.**

 **Natsu: Fire Dragon Iron Fist! *** **about to strike Rollins again** *****

 **Seth Rollins: -counters Natsu's attack with a suplex and then takes him out with a powerbomb onto the turnbuckle where Team Wyatt is-**

 **Natsu: Not done… Fire Dragon Talon! *** **kicks Rollins away with flaming feet and gets up** *****

 **Seth Rollins: -slowly gets up and tags Kane in the ring-**

 **Kane: -enters the ring and takes Natsu out with a Chokeslam and pins him-**

 **Natsu: Ergh! No way!**

 **Chris Jericho: -begins the count but Natsu kicks out at 2-**

 **Kane: -raised his arms up and throws them down making the flames come out around Natsu, not realizing the mistake-**

 **Natsu: *** **inhales flames, puffing his chest** *** Fire Dragon Roar! *** **breathes large flames out onto Kane** *****

 **Kane: -falls the floor all knocked out by the attack-**

 **Chris Jericho: -starts counting and hits 3 which resulted Kane to be eliminated-**

 **Natsu: Hee hee!**

 **SpiritReaper42: Yes! What a great way to get the first elimination! Natsu's taken the demon out of the match for good!**

 **Erick Rowan: Only one who knows fire almost as well as the devil himself...**

 **Big Show: -enters the ring while Kane walks out of the ring-**

 **Natsu: Now that's more like it…**

 **Big Show: -pushes Natsu away and then takes him out with a Spear and pins him-**

 **Natsu: Gh!**

 **Chris Jericho: -counts to 3 but Natsu kicks out at 2-**

 **Big Show: -grabs Natsu and throws him around like a rag doll-**

 **Natsu: Whoa-OH!**

 **Big Show: -steps on Natsu's gut and walks over him-**

 **Humungousaur: *** **beating up Rainbow Wyatt** *** Natsu!**

 **Dean Ambrose: Ouch... Big Show's not letting up for a second...**

 **Roman Reigns: Hold up I have an idea. Distract Jericho with everything you got...**

 **Ryback: I was hoping one of us could step in...**

 **Big Show: -climbs onto the turnbuckle but stands on the middle rope-**

 **Roman Reigns: -climbs on the apron and hits Show with a Superman Punch-**

 **Big Show: -remains on the turnbuckle-**

 **Dolph Ziggler: Time to show off! -hits Show with a Super Kick-**

 **Roman Reigns: -hits Show with another Superman Punch-**

 **Big Show: -falls back first to the floor-**

 **Natsu: Thanks guys! Now to end it! *** **pins Show** *****

 **Chris Jericho: -begins the count of 3 but Show kicks out at 2-**

 **Natsu: Aw man…**

 **SpiritReaper42: That was so close. Big Show already took enough damage but he just won't quit...**

 **Erick Rowan: The bigger they are, the harder they fall...**

 **Ryback: You said it, Big Red...**

 **Naruto: GAH! *** **just got slashed by Naruto Wyatt** *****

 **Natsu: Naruto!**

 **Naruto: *** **grabs arm in pain** *** Natsu… tag me in!**

 **Natsu: *** **is surprised, but tags Naruto anyways, getting out of the ring while he jumps in** *** Go get 'em!**

 **Naruto: *** **crosses fingers** *** Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu! *** **multiple clones appear out of nowhere** *****

 **Big Show: -tries to fight off Naruto's clones-**

 **John Cena: If that's how Naruto wants to put the giant down, then that's really smart right there...**

 **Naruto: Hold him down!**

 **Dean Ambrose: All about those numbers...**

 **Jamie Noble: -distracts Chris when trying to get in the ring-**

 **Hinata: Oh no!**

 **Team Wyatt: -runs in the ring and fights off Team Omni Force-**

 **Luke Harper: -hits Naruto with a Super Kick-**

 **Naruto: Gh! Darn it… *** **clones all disappear** *****

 **Big Show: -aims his right fist and hits Naruto's head with a KO Punch-**

 **Hinata: NARUTO!**

 **Big Show: -pins Naruto waiting for Chris to count-**

 **Chris Jericho: -starts the count and hits 3 which results in Naruto being eliminated-**

 **Hinata: No…**

 **Sunset: I can't believe it.**

 **Rook: Nor can I…**

 **Dolph Ziggler: Well on the bright side, both teams are even. Problem is that Big Show is the biggest one...**

 **Humungousaur: *** **grabs Naruto and gets him out of the ring** *** Don't worry, dude. You just took a bad hit, that's all.**

 **Roman Reigns: They'll figure this out. If they can take out one more, then the odds are against those punks. Believe That.**

 **SpiritReaper42: Right, let's just hope the can keep up...**

 **Rex: And we're gonna keep it up! *** **enters ring, activating Smackhands** *** Showtime, Big Show!**

 **END SCENARIO**

 **Please leave any questions in the reviews! I'll answer any you have!**


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